ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Experiments

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the rise in the use of cats and dogs for experimental purposes; and if he will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Home Department.
	The number of animals likely to be used in any given year is dependent on many factors, including investment in research and development, strategic decisions by funding bodies, global economic trends and scientific innovation.
	Cats, dogs, non-human primates and horses are given special protection under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and may only be used if no other species is suitable or it is not practicable to obtain animals of any other species that are suitable for the purposes of the relevant programme of work. The licensing system under the 1986 Act is demand-led and we have no control over the number of project licence applications we receive and the species required.
	The 2012 statistics, published on 16 July 2013, show that dogs, cats and non-human primates combined accounted for 0.2 % of all procedures. The total scientific procedures using dogs for 2011 were 4,552 and 4,843 for 2012, representing an increase of 6%. The totals for cats in 2011 were 235 and in 2012 they were 247, representing an increase of 5%. These percentage increases represent relatively small changes in the number of procedures for a range of differing purposes.

Environment Protection: British Overseas Territories

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times Ministers of his Department have met their counterparts in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development to discuss environmental stewardship in the Overseas Territories in 2013.

Richard Benyon: The last formal meeting in which Ministers discussed environmental stewardship in the Overseas Territories was at the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in December 2012. The JMC is an annual event which brings together Territory leaders and UK Government Ministers to discuss key issues and identify priority actions for the Overseas Territories. The last JMC meeting included an important session on ‘Cherishing the Environment and Creating Green Growth’. Ministers also regularly meet at informal events, including with representatives of Overseas Territories.
	In addition to ministerial-level contact, DEFRA officials are in regular contact with colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development about biodiversity issues in the Overseas Territories. This ensures that the three Departments work together in a coherent way to deliver their respective responsibilities for the Overseas Territories.

Flood Control

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2013, Official Report, columns 271-2W, on flood control, if he will list each recorded breach of flood defences in each of the last 30 years.

Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency does not hold any central records of flood defence breaches prior to 2007. It is improving the recording mechanism for breaches and other failures that will make information more readily available in the future. Incidents are listed here for 2007 and 2012; there were no such incidents between 2008 and 2011.
	In the 2007 floods there were four sites where flood defence failure led to the earlier onset of flooding. The same level of flooding would have occurred even if the assets had not failed. These breaches were at:
	Worksop, Nottinghamshire
	Chesterfield, Derbyshire
	Sheffield, South Yorkshire
	Auckley, South Yorkshire.
	In the 2012 floods the breaches were at the following sites. No properties were flooded as a result of these breaches.
	Winterton, North Lincolnshire
	N Kelsey, Lincolnshire
	Cheshire Lines, Cheshire
	Langleys Broad Ditch, Lancashire
	New Reed Brook, Lancashire
	Upper Swale, Yorkshire
	Cheddar, Somerset
	Poole, Dorset
	Frodingham, Lincolnshire.

Forests

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many hectares of woodland have been brought into active management since 2002; and what proportion of such woodland was commercial coniferous forestry.

David Heath: holding answer 18 July 2013
	The current methodology used by the Forestry Commission to assess the area of woodland in England in active management can only provide figures back to March 2008. This means it is unable to compare directly today's actively managed area with that in 2002. Between March 2008 and March 2013 there was a net increase in actively managed woodland of 58,178 hectares.
	Commercial coniferous forestry is not a recognised designation used by the Forestry Commission in its performance indicators for England or the National Forest Inventory. However, just over 22% of this net total increase in actively managed woodland was conifer woodland. It is reasonable to assume that conifer woodland in active management is used for commercial purposes.

Forests

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of new forest cover up to 2060 will be commercial coniferous stands.

David Heath: holding answer 18 July 2013
	In January 2013 DEFRA's Forestry and Woodlands Policy Statement included a commitment to “Work with the sector to find new ways of encouraging landowners to plant more trees where it best suits them and their local conditions”. It is therefore primarily up to the landowner to define the nature of woodland planted and the management objective. However, we would expect a significant proportion of conifer woodland to be included in new planting in England over the next few decades.

Livestock: Transport

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many checks the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency have undertaken in (a) 2012 and (b) 2013 to date to ensure that drivers of vehicles transporting live animals to continental Europe comply with Article 17(2) of Regulation 1/2005 in holding a certificate of competence; and how many cases of non-compliance have been found in each such year.

David Heath: With regards to the number of checks undertaken specifically by Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) in relation to the holding of certificates of competence under Article 17(2) of Council Regulation EC 1/2005, the records held on the enforcement database do not differentiate between different forms of documentary check. This database is shared between AHVLA and local authorities and so the data could not be easily interrogated to obtain a satisfactory breakdown. However, AHVLA records do show that in 2012 AHVLA served six statutory notices as a result of a driver not being in possession of a certificate of competence at the time of inspection, and in 2013 to date one notice has been served as a result of a driver not being in possession of a certificate of competence.

Livestock: Transport

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of the inspections undertaken by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency on each lorry that transports live animals to continental Europe from Dover is; and for what reasons this cost is not passed on to the transporters under the cost sharing initiative.

David Heath: The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) does not hold records of the cost of inspections relating to animal welfare legislation on an individual vehicle basis. Inspections on these same consignments, for the purpose of animal health certification, undertaken by private veterinarians appointed by AHVLA, are paid for directly by the owners of the animals.
	As regards to the introduction of any further charges, DEFRA officials are still considering the case for the introduction of a limited range of charges in relation to welfare in transport controls. The outcome is likely to be determined by possible changes to the scope of Council Regulation (EC) 882/2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules. This legislation is currently subject to renegotiation as part of a package of measures to rationalise EU Animal Health and Welfare legislation. This includes those provisions directly relating to charging for official controls, such as inspections. It is too early to predict what changes are likely to be adopted at the EU level upon conclusion of negotiations, but the Government will wish to ensure that where charging is justified, it is proportionate, non-discriminatory in nature and applied as transparently as possible.

Overseas Aid

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which projects administered by his Department were UK Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) attributable; what the total value of his Department's contribution to UK ODA was in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012; and what the value of that contribution will be in 2013.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 1 July 2013
	Core DEFRA administers two programmes—(part of) the UK's International Climate Fund, and the Darwin Initiative—that contribute to the total of UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) expenditure:
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2010 2011 2012 2013 (forecast) 
			 ICF 0 10 20 30 
			 Darwin 3.2 2.4 2.4 4.3

Staff

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on (a) recruitment agency fees, (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and (c) staff training in each of the last 12 months.

Richard Benyon: In the period 1 June 2012 to 31 May 2013 (the last 12 months for which data are available), core DEFRA spent:
	(a) £71,315 on recruitment agency fees for recruitment to civil service and Public Appointments posts. The breakdown by month is as follows:
	
		
			 Month(1) Spend (£) 
			 2012  
			 June 31,278 
			 July 3,768 
			 August 710 
			 September 3,430 
			 October 0 
			 November 2,664 
			 December 4,200 
			   
			 2013  
			 January 24,459 
		
	
	
		
			 February 807 
			 March 0 
			 April 0 
			 May 0 
			 (1) Date shown relates to the date the invoice was paid. 
		
	
	(b) £12,600 on career transition services for staff at risk of redundancy. The breakdown by month is as follows:
	
		
			 Month(1) Spend (£) 
			 2012  
			 June 0 
			 July 0 
			 August 600 
			 September 0 
			 October 0 
			 November 0 
			 December 0 
			   
			 2013  
			 January 0 
			 February 12,000 
			 March 0 
			 April 0 
			 May 0 
			 (1) Date shown relates to the date the invoice was paid. 
		
	
	(c) £1,246,266 on staff training(2)
	(2) The figures given for staff training are for the total spend recorded against training account codes in the Department's financial management system for the whole year. This expenditure could be for a variety of reasons from actual training courses to booking course venues. We have given a total for the year as the monthly breakdown indicates a negative figure for April 2013 due to accounting policies.

Wales

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department provides services to people resident in Wales or usually resident in Wales.

Richard Benyon: A number of DEFRA's network bodies provide services to people resident in Wales or usually resident in Wales.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Airwave Service

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2013, Official Report, column 389W, on airwave service, whether the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme has made a decision as to the technology basis of the new solution.

James Brokenshire: The Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme will evaluate the technology options during tender evaluation, and the Full Business Case will recommend a preferred solution. The Full Business Case will not be approved before March 2015.

Arrest Warrants

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the potential scope of the extradition of nationals of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Portugal and Sweden from those countries if the UK opted-out of the European Arrest Warrant Framework.

Mark Harper: holding answer 17 June 2013
	The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), set out in her ministerial statement on 9 July 2013 , Official Report, columns 177-93 that the Government will opt out of all of the pre-Lisbon police and criminal justice measures, and then negotiate with the Commission and other member states to opt back into those individual measures which it is in our national interest to rejoin, including the European Arrest Warrant (EAW). Parliament has voted on this position, and agreed to opt out of pre-Lisbon police and criminal justice measures.
	In reaching its decision the Government considered how the EAW contributed to public safety and security, whether practical co-operation is underpinned by it, and whether there would be a detrimental impact on such co-operation if it were pursued by other means. We also considered the impact of each measure on our civil rights and traditional liberties. As part of this decision, the impact on the extradition of nationals of EU countries was considered. The European Convention on Extradition (1957) governed extradition relations between the UK and other EU member states prior to the adoption of the EAW. Under the ECE some member states did not extradite their own nationals to the UK and may not do so again in the future.

Arrest Warrants

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Statement of 9 July 2013, Official Report, column 177, on the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, if she will take steps to ensure that the police are required to inform a person of the existence of a European Arrest Warrant against them.

Mark Harper: There is no obligation to notify the person of the existence of a warrant ahead of their arrest. It is a matter of longstanding policy and practice that the United Kingdom will neither confirm nor deny that it has received, is to make or has made an extradition request, until the subject of the request has been arrested. This is because if a person wanted for extradition learnt of the request in advance of their arrest, they would be able to take action to evade justice.

Asylum

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers are still in the UK.

Mark Harper: The asylum work in progress (WIP) number is published on an annual basis, providing a breakdown of the status of these cases. This includes figures on the number of main applicants whose cases are subject to removal action (i.e. failed asylum seekers). At the end of June 2012, a total of 23,497
	(1,2)
	cases in the WIP were subject to removal action. A copy of the full publication can be found at:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/further-key-data/
	(1) The figure quoted has been derived from management information and is therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
	(2) While some cases in the “subject to removal action” category await imminent removal, for many there will be significant barriers to removals which we are still working to overcome. Such barriers include difficulties in obtaining documents from national governments; dealing with last minute legal challenges; and logistical and practical challenges in removing families in a humane and dignified fashion.
	The asylum work in progress publication will be updated at the beginning of September 2013, providing figures on the WIP as at the end of June 2013.

Billing

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many creditors to her Department owed more than £10,000 remained unpaid for more than (a) 30 days, (b) 45 days, (c) 60 days, (d) 75 days and (e) more than 90 days in each of the last three years.

James Brokenshire: The details of how many of the Home Department's creditors remained unpaid for the quoted time periods can be found in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Payments owing 30-44 days Payments owing 45-59 days Payments owing 60-74 days Payments owing 75-90 days Payments owing 90+ days 
			 2010-11 230 90 47 42 213 
			 2011-12 129 58 26 24 31 
			 2012-13 201 74 33 19 37

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of her Department's total spending has been spent on the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre in each year since its inception; and what proportion of her Department's budget is forecast to be spent on CEOP in each of the next three years.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 4 July 2013
	Since 2006 the Government has provided funding for the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) of:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2006-07 5.360 
			 2007-08 5.657 
			 2008-09 6.27 
			 2009-10 6.353 
			 2010-11 6.44 
			 2011-12 6.38 
			 2012-13 6.381 
		
	
	From April 2013 to October 2013 CEOP has a budget of £3.2 million. From October 2013 CEOP will form a command within the National Crime Agency (NCA). The budget for the NCA will be announced in due course.
	CEOP obtains additional funding from industry and charities.

Children: Detention Centres

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will investigate the child protection issues raised by the detention of children in adult immigration removal centres.

Mark Harper: It is Home Office policy not to detain under 18s in adult immigration removal centres other than in the specific event of their having been stopped at the border as part of a family group because enquiries are necessary as to whether the family can be safely admitted or, if not, pending a flight home. In these circumstances, families stay together in accommodation specially designed for families and separate from the other detainees. There are occasions when evidence emerges to indicate that a person who has been detained in other circumstances and as an adult is under 18. In those circumstances, the individual will be released from detention as soon as the local authority can make appropriate arrangements for them in the community. If the case meets the criteria for an age dispute case as set out in the following published criteria, the individual will be the subject of a formal local authority age assessment and will be treated as under 18 pending the outcome of the assessment.
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/detention-services-orders/age-dispute.pdf?view=Binary

Crime: EU Countries

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which other EU countries those accused of criminal activities (a) need to and (b) do not need to be physically present before being charged by that country's legal authorities.

Mark Harper: holding answer 12 July 2013
	The position varies across EU member states and, in some situations, depends upon the seriousness and complexity of the crime. According to the information received from member states, the following table sets out which of them requires the physical presence of the requested person in order for decisions to charge that person to be taken.
	Overall, the reforms we are proposing will introduce much needed safeguards for persons subject to a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) in the UK. In addition to the provisions relating to decisions to charge and try, the Extradition Act 2003 will be amended to allow for the temporary transfer of the person to the issuing state. We also propose to make provision for the person to speak with the authorities in that state while
	he or she remains in the UK (e.g. by video link). We will work to ensure the European Investigation Order is agreed as quickly as possible in order that this may be used as an alternative to the EAW in appropriate circumstances.
	
		
			 Member state Presence required for the decision to charge to be made Presence required for the decision to try to be made 
			 Austria No Dependent on circumstances 
			 Belgium No No 
			 Bulgaria No No 
			 Croatia No No 
			 ¦Cyprus Yes Yes 
			 Czech Republic Yes Yes 
			 Denmark No No 
			 Estonia Yes Yes 
			 Finland No Dependent on circumstances 
			 France No No 
			 Germany No Yes 
			 Greece Information not available Information not available 
			 Hungary No No 
			 Ireland No No 
			 Italy No No 
			 Latvia No No 
			 Lithuania Information not available Information not available 
			 Luxembourg Dependant on circumstances Dependent on circumstances 
			 Malta No No 
			 Netherlands No No 
			 Poland No Yes (with exceptions) 
			 Portugal Yes Yes 
			 Romania Dependent on circumstances Dependent on circumstances 
			 Slovakia No Dependent on circumstances 
			 Slovenia No No 
			 Spain Yes Yes 
			 Sweden Information not available Information not available

Criminal Investigation

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many employees of the Border Force are currently under criminal investigation;
	(2)  how many employees of her Department are currently under criminal investigation.

Mark Harper: From the information sources available, there are currently nine employees of the Home Department under criminal investigation. None of these employees are from Border Force.

Domestic Visits

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times she has visited (a) Scotland, (b) Northern Ireland and (c) Wales since her appointment; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers have regular visits and meetings as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of such visits.

Driving Offences

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme in preventing reoffending; and how many drivers have opted for these courses rather than accept penalty points on their driving licence in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many National Driver Offender Retraining Schemes are operating in the UK; and which police forces do not run any such scheme.

Damian Green: The National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme (NDORS)is a police controlled and operated scheme that currently comprises six courses that cover speeding, careless driving/riding and other driving behaviours or attitudes. It is a matter for individual chief officers of police whether to make one or more of these courses available. All police forces within the UK run at least one of these courses. The number of drivers that opted for these courses rather than accept penalty points is not known, but NDORS management advise that course attendance in 2010 was 467,601, in 2011, 793,689 and in 2012, 963,657.
	The Department for Transport has been assisting the police in evaluating how educational and training courses adapt driver behaviour to prevent reoffending and is currently working with the police to develop a recidivism evaluation of each NDORS course.

Entry Clearances

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what revenue was raised from applications for visas to the UK from each individual country where the UK has visa application centres in each of the last three years; and what the total amount so raised was in each of those years;
	(2)  what revenue was raised from applications for visas to the UK from each of the 10 principal countries ranked by revenue generated in each of the last three years.

Mark Harper: This information is not published by country, but is published by geographical region, from 2011-12 onwards. Therefore, a table is provided detailing income by region for the financial years 2011-12 and 2012-13, and is ranked according to 2012-13 income:
	
		
			 Income by region—overseas visas 
			 Million 
			  2012-13 2011-12 
			 Pacific 87.1 78.5 
			 Gulf 86.6 83.1 
			 Euro-med 85.3 79.5 
			 South Asia 78.6 85.2 
			 Africa 73.0 69.9 
			 Americas 34.2 32.3 
			  444.8 428.6

Entry Clearances

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have overstayed their visa in each of the last three years.

Mark Harper: The requested figures on the number of people who have overstayed their visa in each of the last three years are not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Entry Clearances: China

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent progress she has made on making it easier for tourists from China to visit the UK.

Mark Harper: holding answer 16 July 2013
	We continue to look for ways to enhance the visa service to further encourage Chinese tourism and investment to the UK. Since December 2012 we have:
	simplified the document requirements for business and tourists
	shortened application forms for certain tourists
	expanded access to our premium services
	produced new guidance in simplified Mandarin
	launched a “business network” of staff to support key businesses through the visa application process
	launched an improved website
	introduced Passport Pass Back, allowing visitors wanting to apply for another visa at the same time to retain their passports
	launched a VIP Mobile Biometric service for senior executives whereby we go to the applicant's office to take their biometrics
	introduced Prime Time, extended opening hours in six of our applications centres, for those who need the convenience of an appointment outside of usual business hours.

Entry Clearances: Married People

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will amend regulations to take into account contracts guaranteeing future income of returning UK citizens in spousal visa applications where overseas income has been insufficient to meet the new income threshold.

Mark Harper: holding answer 17 July 2013
	The family Immigration Rules allow a British Citizen returning to the UK to rely on a confirmed job offer or signed contract of employment here in sponsoring their spouse’s visa application, where the sponsor can evidence that they have been earning overseas the level of income concerned. We have no current plans to change this requirement.

Entry Clearances: Married People

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the likely effect of the new income threshold for spousal visas on UK citizens studying abroad who marry overseas’ citizens.

Mark Harper: holding answer 17 July 2013
	A British Citizen studying overseas who does not have the income or savings required to sponsor their spouse to come to the UK under the family Immigration Rules may return to work in the UK. Once they have been earning the required level of income for six months with the same employer, they may be able to sponsor their spouse to join them here.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of how many people remain in the UK on expired student visas.

Mark Harper: The requested figures on the number of people who remain in the UK on expired student visas is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent by her Department (a) in total and (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by her Department for this purpose.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office spent the sums set out in the following table in discharging its statutory responsibilities as an employer and provider of goods and services under equality legislation.
	The number of people employed specifically on equality and diversity is 15.
	
		
			  Total annual spend (£) Total annual staff costs (£) 
			 2012-13 901,000 674,000 
			 2011-12 1,110,000 865,000 
			 2010-11 1,141,000 909,000

Europol

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has visited Europol since May 2010.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 6 June 2013
	Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings, and of overseas travel, are passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently published on the Government.uk website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/212353/Home_Office_Ministers_Jan-_March_13.pdf

Europol and Eurojust

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the value of the UK's membership of (a) Europol and (b) Eurojust.

James Brokenshire: The Government has sought input from law enforcement, the devolved Administrations and other partners of the value to the UK of our membership of Europol and Eurojust as part of its consideration of which EU police and criminal justice measures adopted before 1 December 2009 (a category that includes both organisations) we should seek to rejoin when we opt out of those measures as a whole in December 2014.
	The Government will seek to rejoin measures that combat cross-border crime and keep our country safe. Command Paper 8671 contains a set of 35 measures, including both Europol and Eurojust as they are currently constituted, that the Government believes it would be in the national interest to seek to rejoin.
	The Government has not opted in to the new Europol proposal because of concerns over powers to direct national police and mandatory data sharing, including of sensitive law enforcement intelligence related to national security. However, we will opt in to the proposal once it has been adopted if these concerns are met in the negotiations.
	The coalition agreement makes clear that the UK will not participate in the Commission's recently published proposal for a European Public Prosecutor's Office.

Europol and Eurojust

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on the UK's membership of the antecedents to (a) Europol and (b) Eurojust.

James Brokenshire: The body that preceded Europol in supporting law enforcement cooperation in the EU was the Europol Drugs Unit. This was established in June 1993 and was replaced by Europol in July 1999. The body that preceded Eurojust in supporting judicial cooperation in the EU was known as Pro-Eurojust. This was formed in December 2000 and was replaced by Eurojust in February 2002. We have not received any recent representations about the UK’s membership of these now superseded bodies.

Illegal Immigrants

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration enforcement raids were carried out in each year since 2008.

Mark Harper: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Enforcement visits 
			 2008 14,711 
			 2009 11,642 
			 2010 14,309 
			 2011 14,203 
			 2012 14,200 
			 2013 (Q1) 3,840

Immigration

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK Border Agency cases are outstanding; and what proportion of cases since May 2012 have taken longer than six months to process.

Mark Harper: holding answer 11 July 2013
	The Home Office’s quarterly written evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee includes a description of work in hand and is published by the Committee.

Immigration

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department put in place to control immigration from other EU member states in (a) 2005, (b) 2010 and (c) 2012.

Mark Harper: The rights of European Union nationals to live and work in other member states, and to be accompanied by their family members who do not hold a European Union nationality, are set out in the 2004 Free Movement Directive (2004/38/EC) by which the UK is bound. The directive was implemented in the UK through the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006.
	Free movement rights are not unconditional: after three months, those exercising rights must prove that they are a worker, student, self-employed or self-sufficient, such that they do not burden social welfare systems. The Home Office has strict checks in place to ensure that EU nationals who apply for registration documentation meet the requirements set out in the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006. EU nationals who do not meet one of these requirements will not have a right to reside in the UK.
	The Inter-Ministerial Group on Migrants' Access to Benefits and Public Services aims to ensure the UK's offer to legal migrants on benefits and services is fair but does not act as an inappropriate incentive to migrate and that rules preventing illegal migrant access are effectively enforced.
	The Government does not tolerate abuse of free movement. The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has consistently raised her concerns about fraud and abuse of free movement at the Justice and Home Affairs Council, and we are working to curb such abuse both domestically, and together with our European partners. The Government is also examining the scope and consequences of the free movement of people across the EU as part of the Review of Balance of Competences.

Immigration: Married People

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many spousal visas were granted in each year since 2008.

Mark Harper: The latest published figures for partner visas issued under the family route are given in the following table:
	
		
			 Entry clearance visas issued to those entering as partners1 through the Family route, 2008 to 2012 
			  Visas issued 
			 2008 45,099 
			 2009 39,556 
			 2010 40,466 
			 2011 34,832 
			 2012 31,541 
			 Notes: 1. Includes visas issued for a probationary period and for immediate settlement. From July 2012, it also includes ‘post flight’ partners joining those who have been granted refugee status or humanitarian protection but who have yet to apply for or be granted settlement. 2. It is not possible from the published statistics to distinguish between those granted visas under the old family rules and those granted visas under new family rules implemented since 9 July 2012. Source: Table be_04. Immigration Statistics, January to March 2013 
		
	
	The latest Home Office immigration statistics, including those for entry clearance visas, are published in the release Immigration Statistics January to March 2013, which is available from the Library of the House and on the Department's website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Immigration: Married People

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations about the ending of a relationship with someone who has permission to enter or remain in the UK as a partner of a British citizen her Department received in each year from 2008 to date.

Mark Harper: A complete set of data of all types of representations regarding the ending of relationships between British citizens and their partners with limited leave to enter or remain is not held centrally. The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on external legal advice (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012.

James Brokenshire: The Home Department's spend on external legal advice for financial years (FY) 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 and the first quarter of 2013-14 is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 External legal advice 
			 Financial year Spend (£) 
			 2010-11 6,331,000 
			 2011-12 8,622,000 
			 2012-13 16,584,000 
			 2013-14 (1)2,176,000 
			 (1) This data is for the first quarter of financial year 2013-14

Members: Correspondence

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the longest period of time the Minister for Immigration has taken to respond to a letter from an hon. Member since May 2010;
	(2)  what the average length of time the Minister for Immigration has taken to respond to letters from hon. Members is.

Mark Harper: Since May 2010, 217 working days has been the longest time taken for an Immigration Minister to reply to a hon. Member.
	For letters already sent, on average it has taken 36 working days for the current Minister for Immigration to respond to hon. Members.

Members: Correspondence

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Slough of 18 March 2013 regarding the answer of 4 February 2013, Official Report, column 23-4W, on entry clearances.

Mark Harper: I wrote to the hon. Member on 24 July 2013.

Northcote House

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department used the facilities at Northcote House, Sunningdale Park, Berkshire in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: Following a review of learning and development across Government the National School of Government, which delivered training on the Sunningdale Park site, closed in March 2012. Data on which individuals may have used the site were not retained.

Offences against Children: Lancashire

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support her Department has offered to the victims of organised grooming and sexual exploitation of children in Lancashire.

Damian Green: In Lancashire, the Home Office has provided £20,000 per year from 2011-12 until 2014-15 to part fund an Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) post that is attached to the SAFE Centre (Sexual Assault Referral Centre) based at Royal Preston Hospital. This centre has a children's wing where support as well as medical examination is provided from the outset. The ISVA post provides support and advocacy to victims or rape and sexual violence and the signposting to counselling services as required on a case by case basis by the victim.

Police

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the division of responsibilities between the Metropolitan and City police forces on cyber crime and fraud; and what assessment she has made of work on building capacity in other police force areas.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 18 July 2013
	The National Cyber Crime Unit within the new National Crime Agency will be the national lead on cyber crime. Responsibilities previously undertaken by the Metropolitan Police Service Police Central e-Crime Unit are being transferred into the National Cyber Crime Unit which is already operating in shadow form ahead of the National Crime Agency becoming fully operational October 2013.
	The City of London police will continue to act as the national police lead on fraud, and will work closely with the new Economic Crime Command in the National Crime Agency which will coordinate and direct activity to tackle fraud, bribery and corruption across all the agencies involved in tackling economic crime.
	The creation of the National Crime Agency will strengthen the national capability to tackle serous and organised crime, including on cyber crime and fraud. To support this stronger national capability and provide specialist support to local forces the Home Office is providing £26 million to improve regional policing capabilities in England and Wales, including on fraud and cyber.
	Funding from the National Cyber Security Programme is also being used to deliver cyber training for police forces.

Private Sector

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much and what proportion of her Department's budget has been spent in payment to companies in the private sector in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: The details of the Home Department's total spend with, and what proportion of the Department's budget has been spent in payment to, companies in the private sector, in 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 , can be found in the following table. To provide the data for 2008-09 and 2009-10 would incur disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Spend with private companies (£000) Proportion of Home Department's budget has been spent in payment to companies (%) 
			 2010-11 2,620,217 25.6 
			 2011-12 2,605,927 27.1 
			 2012-13 2,313,293 25.5

Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has paid to (a) G4S, (b) Serco, (c) Sodexo, (d) GEOAmey and (e) Capita for services undertaken on behalf of her Department by each such contractor in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 18 July 2013
	In respect of the Home Department's expenditure with Capita and Serco in the given period I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answers given on 19 June 2013, Official Report, columns 686-87W and 4 July 2013, Official Report, column 788W, respectively. The Home Department's expenditure with G4S, GEO Amey and Sodexo can be found in the following table:
	
		
			 Expenditure (£ million) 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Sodexo 71.0 57.8 60.6 
			 G4S 101.7 45.0 47.9 
			 GEO Amey 24.0 21.7 24.4

Recovery Orders

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the guidance her Department provides to police officers on the use of statutory recovery orders.

Damian Green: holding answer 18 July 2013
	There is a provision in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 which empowers the police in certain defined circumstances to remove and recover vehicles. This work is carried out by contracted recovery operators. The Home Office has not issued any guidance on the use of these powers, which is an operational matter for the police.

Sex Establishments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which local authorities have resolved to use powers to regulate lapdancing clubs under the Police and Crime Act 2009.

Jeremy Browne: holding answer 5 July 2013
	This information is not held centrally.

South Yorkshire Police

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has held with the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Independent Police Complaints Commission regarding an investigation into the role of South Yorkshire Police at Orgreave coke works during the 1984-85 Miners' Strike.

Damian Green: There are complex jurisdictional issues associated with referrals from South Yorkshire Police in relation to events at Orgreave Coking Plant in 1984 and the subsequent court cases. These referrals are currently under assessment by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

UK Border Agency

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK Border Agency staff in each pay grade (a) joined and (b) left that organisation in each of the last 12 months.

Mark Harper: The UK Border Agency was abolished on 1 April 2013. At that point all employees were reintegrated into the wider Home Office. For the 12 months previously (the 2012-13 financial year), the joiners and leavers by grade are set out in the following table. A breakdown by each month could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 The number of UK Border Agency employees in each pay grade who (a) joined and (b) left that organisation in 2012-13 
			 Headcount 
			  Grade equivalency (a) Number of employees who joined (b) Number of employees who left 
			 1. AA ** ** 
			 2. AO 32 54 
			 3. EO 121 336 
			 4. HEO 61 164 
			 5. SEO 35 139 
			 6. Grade 7 21 87 
			 7. Grade 6 ** 23 
			 8. SCS 0 ** 
			  Total 283 811 
			 Extract dates: 1 July 2012, 1 October 2012, 1 January 2013 and 1 April 2013—quarterly data was combined to create one set of data to cover the financial year. Source: Bespoke database on internal churn, with data taken from Data View—the Home Office's single source of Office for National Statistics compliant monthly snapshot corporate Human Resources data. Period covered: 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013. Organisational coverage: Figures include those who joined the UK Border Agency from within the Home Office (from core Home Office (including Border Force) and the Executive Agencies; HM Passport Office and the National Fraud Authority) and who left the UK Border Agency to move to another area of the Home Office. They also include those who moved into and out of the UK Border Agency due to restructuring, as well as those who moved on an individual basis when changing roles, Employee coverage: Figures given are headcount for civil servants who were current employees at the extract dates. Redaction: In accordance with the Data Protection Act figures less than 10 have been redacted and replaced with ** to avoid the identification of individuals.

Wales

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department provides services to people resident in Wales or usually resident in Wales.

James Brokenshire: It is important that in the non-devolved areas sufficient support should be given to the Welsh language, and the Government is committed to ensuring this is done.
	The Home Office leads on immigration and passports, drugs policy, crime policy and counter-terrorism and works to ensure visible, responsive and accountable policing in Wales and the rest of the UK.
	Further details of the services the Home Office provides, can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/about

Welsh Language

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has a current Welsh Language scheme; when that scheme was adopted; and whether it has been reviewed since May 2011.

James Brokenshire: This Government is fully committed to the Welsh language and fully committed to providing Government services in the Welsh language where there is demand for them.
	It is important that in the non-devolved areas sufficient support should be given to the Welsh language, and the Government is committed to ensuring this is done.
	Since September 2009, the Home Office has adopted a Welsh Language scheme. The measures set out in the policy document form the basis of an annual report sent to the Welsh Language Commissioner where the Home Office provides evidence to ensure compliance with the agreed measures for the scheme. This was last reviewed in July 2013 as part of the Home Office's Welsh Language Scheme report for 2012-13 and was sent to the Welsh Language Commissioner.

HEALTH

Arthritis

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to support families of people suffering from osteoarthritis;
	(2)  what steps his Department has taken to ensure that people with osteoarthritis have access to physiotherapy, exercise facilities and weight management services.

Norman Lamb: Through our Mandate to the NHS, we have asked NHS England to make measurable progress towards making our health service among the best in Europe at supporting people with ongoing health problems, such as osteoarthritis, to live healthily and independently/with much better control over the care they receive. The NHS Outcomes Framework contains the indicators that will be used to hold NHS England to account for making progress.
	One of NHS England's objectives is to ensure the NHS becomes dramatically better at involving patients and their carers, and empowering them to manage and make decisions about their own care and treatment. Achieving this objective would mean that by 2015; the 5 million carers who look after friends and family members will routinely have access to information and advice about the support available, including respite care.
	It is for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in partnership with local stakeholders, including local government and the public to assess the needs of their local population and to commission services accordingly. CCGs will work closely with public health colleagues in this assessment to address local needs within the health community including physiotherapy.
	Local authorities are now responsible for commissioning weight management services. Public Health England will work with and support local authorities to tackle obesity and is currently developing its work programme to do this. The programme will include support to local authorities to commission weight management services in England.

Arthritis: Lancashire

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in East Lancashire with osteoarthritis were able to access joint replacement surgery within 18 weeks in each of the last three years.

Norman Lamb: Information is not available in the format requested.
	Information on the number of weeks waited for finished admission episodes with a joint replacement as the main operative procedure for patients with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis resident in the former East Lancashire Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCX) area from 2009-10 to 2011-12 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 0 to 1 week 18 14 32 
			 1 to 2 weeks 16 18 16 
			 2 to 3 weeks 14 16 23 
			 3 to 4 weeks 30 18 22 
			 4 to 5 weeks 31 26 20 
			 5 to 6 weeks 49 31 20 
			 6 to 7 weeks 38 41 36 
			 7 to 8 weeks 31 39 26 
			 8 to 9 weeks 44 42 30 
			 9 to 10 weeks 32 36 36 
			 10 to 11 weeks 38 41 37 
			 11 to 12 weeks 44 48 47 
			 12 to 13 weeks 42 23 42 
			 13 to 14 weeks 40 46 46 
			 14 to 15 weeks 47 42 42 
			 15 to 16 weeks 38 46 49 
			 16 to 17 weeks 43 28 30 
			 17 to 18 weeks 39 43 41 
			 18 to 19 weeks 21 16 19 
			 19 to 20 weeks 20 12 14 
			 20 to 21 weeks 13 17 19 
		
	
	
		
			 21 to 22 weeks 12 13 15 
			 22 to 23 weeks 9 9 14 
			 23 to 24 weeks 6 7 9 
			 24 to 25 weeks * 9 9 
			 Over 25 weeks 26 32 65 
			 Unknown 38 98 107 
			 Notes: 1. To protect patient confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been replaced with '*' (an asterix). Where it was still possible to identify figures from the total, additional figures have been replaced with '*'. 2. A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period. 3. The first recorded procedure or intervention in each episode, usually the most resource intensive procedure or intervention performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main procedure when looking at admission details, (e.g. time waited), but a more complete count of episodes with a particular procedure is obtained by looking at the main and the secondary procedures. 4. The number of episodes where this diagnosis was recorded in any of the 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record. Each episode is only counted once, even if the diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record. 5. ICD-10 codes used to identify osteoarthritis are: M15.- Polyarthrosis M16.- Coxarthrosis (arthrosis of hip) M17.- Gonarthrosis (arthrosis of knee) M18.- Arthrosis of first carpometacarpal joint M19.- Other arthrosis 6. HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care. Source: The Information Centre for Health and Social Care—Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)

Billing

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many creditors to his Department owed more than £10,000 remained unpaid for more than (a) 30 days, (b) 45 days, (c) 60 days, (d) 75 days and (e) more than 90 days in each of the last three years.

Daniel Poulter: The requested information is not routinely collected by the Department. The payment target set for all Government Departments is to pay at least 80% of all invoices received within five days, regardless of the size of the creditor organisation or the value of the invoice. Payment performance is also monitored against targets of 10 days (the previous target set by Cabinet Office) and 30 days, which are the payment terms stated in all the Department's commercial contracts.
	The Department's performance against each of the above targets for the last three full financial years is given in the following table:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			 Days 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 5 91.18 95.46 92.95 
			 10 97.68 97.86 97.10 
			 30 99.48 99.31 98.46

Cancer: Drugs

Sarah Newton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people in each strategic health authority area who have received treatment as a consequence of the introduction of the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Norman Lamb: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 18 June 2013, Official Report, column 656W.
	Strategic health authorities no longer exist. NHS England took responsibility for the Cancer Drugs Fund from April 2013 and information on the number of patients funded through the Cancer Drugs Fund for 2013-14 is not yet available. NHS England is currently considering what information will be made available routinely and how it will be made available.
	NHS England has advised that it has collected data on the use of the Cancer Drugs Fund for the first quarter of 2013-14 and it expects this to be made available shortly. Thereafter, data will be published quarterly.

Health Services: Lancashire

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in East Lancashire with a long-term condition were offered a personalised care plan in each of the last three years.

Norman Lamb: The information requested is not centrally held.
	Responsibility for the treatment of long-term conditions passed to NHS England in April 2013. One of the objectives in the Government's Mandate to NHS England is for the national health service to better empower patients to manage and make decisions about their own care and treatment. Achieving this objective would mean that by 2015 everyone with a long-term condition will be offered a personalised care plan that reflects their preferences and agreed decisions.

Health: Restaurants

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will put in place plans for a Franchisee Responsibility Deal to allow franchisee-owned quick service restaurants to commit to improving UK health.

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce a franchise responsibility deal to allow franchisee-owner quick service restaurants to commit to introduce healthier food; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The Responsibility Deal currently has a number of partners that operate on a franchise basis, including Subway, Burger King and Pizza Hut, and their commitments cover all franchisees.
	Additionally local franchise-owners can choose to sign up as local partners to the national Responsibility Deal. In April, the Department launched a local toolkit that includes a number of simple actions that local food/catering businesses can take to provide healthier offerings for their customers. Further information on the toolkit and becoming a local partner is available at:
	https://responsibilitydeal.dh.gov.uk/local-partners/

Hospitals: Greater London

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, (b) Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and (c) Princess Royal Hospital, Bromley had annual financial deficits in the last financial year for which data is available; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The Department routinely collects financial information from national health service trusts, but this information does not distinguish between individual hospitals within that trust.
	South London Healthcare NHS Trust includes (a) Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, (b) Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, (c) Princess Royal Hospital, Bromley, (d) Beckenham Beacon Hospital, and (e) Orpington Hospital.
	The financial position of South London Healthcare NHS Trust is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Operating deficit (£000) 
			 2009-10 42,067 
			 2010-11 40,865 
			 2011-12 65,063 
			 2012-13 44,718

Maternity Services

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with groups representing (a) new mothers, (b) midwives, (c) doctors and (d) other maternity ward staff on the admission of sales representatives to NHS maternity wards;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing in Scotland on the admission of sales representatives on NHS maternity wards.

Daniel Poulter: None. I wrote to all national health service trusts, NHS foundation trusts and heads of midwifery in England asking them to review their practices for allowing representatives from private companies on maternity wards and to assure themselves that they are maintaining women's dignity and respect shortly after the birth of a baby when they can be tired and vulnerable. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library.
	It is for individual trusts to make decisions about the admission of sales representatives to NHS maternity wards.

Mental Health Services

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2013, Official Report, column 437W, on mental health services, what information his Department collects on NHS (a) spending on and (b) referrals to counsellors and psychotherapists.

Norman Lamb: The Department collects information on overall spend on psychological therapy services in England.
	From 2004-05 until 2011-12 the spend on psychological therapy services was as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2004-05 144,378 
			 2005-06 142,047 
			 2006-07 146,116 
			 2007-08 161,378 
			 2008-09 184,755 
			 2009-10 292,308 
			 2010-11 355,821 
			 2011-12 388,980 
			 Source: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) three year report, November 2012 
		
	
	The number of referrals to IAPT services each year since October 2008 were as follows:
	
		
			  Number of referrals 
			 October 2008 to March 2009 75,278 
			 April 2009 to March 2010 357,266 
			 April 2010 to March 2011 682,438 
			 April 2011 to March 2012 870,747 
			 April 2012 to March 2013 983,619 
			 Source: IAPT Minimum Dataset

Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2013, Official Report, column 343W on Jackie Holt, what involvement Ms Tina Long had in negotiating the proposed secondment of Ms Jackie Holt from Morecambe Bay NHS Trust into Warrington and Halton NHS Trust; and whether his Department was consulted about the proposed secondment.

Daniel Poulter: NHS England advises that Tina Long, the Director of Nursing and Quality at the Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral Area Team was not involved in negotiations about seconding Jackie Holt, the Executive Chief Nurse at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. The Department has no involvement in employment decisions of this nature.

Multiple Sclerosis

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what powers he has to intervene to ensure that NHS commissioners comply with the requirement to fund treatments covered by the multiple sclerosis risk-sharing scheme;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects on the effectiveness of treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) of (a) MS nurses, (b) specialist treatment centres and (c) other specialist services delivered by the MS risk-sharing scheme since its inception in 2002.

Norman Lamb: Under the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Group (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012, NHS commissioners are required to fund the four multiple sclerosis treatments covered by the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Risk Sharing Scheme for patients meeting published clinical criteria.
	The development of the United Kingdom-wide network of over 70 MS specialist treatment centres together with an increase in the number of MS specialist nurses has helped to improve the care and support available to MS patients.

NHS

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms he has available for dissolving an NHS Trust; which NHS Trusts have been so dissolved; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: Paragraph 28 of schedule 4 to the National Health Service Act 2006 gives the Secretary of State power to dissolve an NHS trust on the application of the NHS trust concerned, or if the Secretary of State considers it appropriate in the interests of the health service. This power came into force in November 2006.
	The following table gives details of the NHS trusts dissolved using this power.
	
		
			  NHS Trust 
			 2012-13 Barts and the London NHS Trust 
			  Newham University Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  Whipps Cross University NHS Trust 
			  Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust 
			  Oxford Learning Disability NHS Trust 
			  Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust 
			  Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust 
			   
			 2011-12 Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust 
			   
			 2010-11 The Bedfordshire and Luton Mental Health and Social Care Partnership NHS Trust 
			  The Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust 
			  The Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust 
			  The Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust 
			   
			 2009-10 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust 
			  Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust 
			  Royal West Sussex NHS Trust 
			  Worthing and Southlands NHS Trust 
			   
			 2008-09 No NHS trusts were dissolved in this year 
			   
			 2007-08 Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust 
			  Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  St Mary's NHS Trust 
			  Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

NHS Foundation Trusts

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the Competition Commission's preliminary conclusions on the proposed merger between the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Foundation Trust and the Poole Hospital Foundation Trust; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what his policy is on possible mergers of NHS foundation hospital trusts.

Anna Soubry: The Government's policy is that all mergers involving national health service organisations must be in the interests of patients.
	The Competition Commission's review of the merger between the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch NHS Foundation Trust and the Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is an independent statutory process. We have noted the preliminary conclusions that were published on 11 July 2013. We now expect the Commission to carefully consider the benefits of the merger, taking views from stakeholders, before reaching a final decision.

NHS: Drugs

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues on interpretation of the performance of different NHS foundation trusts in the take-up of medicines at a local level as revealed in the innovation scorecard.

Daniel Poulter: The Innovation Scorecard presents data showing which local health services are providing which National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended medicines and technologies. The Department does not issue any guidance on the use or interpretation of the Innovation Scorecard data.
	The Innovation Scorecard is part of the Innovation Health and Wealth programme being led by NHS England. It is designed to provide patients and the public with information on the treatments available within their local hospitals and NHS services, and guidance on its interpretation is a matter for NHS England. The Health and Social Care Information Centre publishes guidance alongside the Innovation Scorecard Data.

NHS: Procurement

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of NHS contracts have been won by commercial contractors; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what proportion of NHS contracts concluded in the last three months have been won by commercial contractors.

Daniel Poulter: NHS England does not hold a central record of contracts that have been awarded to private sector ("commercial") organisations.

NHS: Public Appointments

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to which NHS trusts he has appointed a trust special administrator to exercise the functions of the chairman and directors of an NHS trust under the National Health Service Act 2006 since he took office; what the reasons were for each such appointment; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The Trust Special Administrator's regime for a national health service trust, as set out under Chapter 5A of the NHS Act 2006, is triggered by the Secretary of State.
	The former Secretary of State appointed a Trust Special Administrator to South London Healthcare NHS Trust in July 2012. Details about the appointment were set in a written ministerial statement of 12 July 2012, Official Report, columns 47-49WS.

Rickets

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in incidences of rickets between 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Anna Soubry: Although hospital episode statistics data show an apparent increase in the incidence of rickets between 2010-11 and 2011-12, these data are based on the recorded admission figures and may overestimate the incidence for a number of reasons. These include counting individuals who have been admitted to hospital more than once in a year with a diagnosis of rickets. However, we have not made a detailed assessment of the reasons for the apparent recorded increase in admission episodes of rickets.
	There are a number of causes of rickets including a lack of vitamin D and/or calcium. The Government continues to promote and recommend that young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women take a daily supplement of vitamin D, to prevent vitamin D deficiency.

Royal Bolton Hospital

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies were born per bed, per day in the labour unit at Royal Bolton Hospital in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many midwives were on duty on each such day.

Daniel Poulter: This information is not collected centrally.
	We have written to David Wakefield, Chair of the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, informing him of the hon. Member's inquiry. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Wales

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department provides services to people resident in Wales or usually resident in Wales.

Anna Soubry: Responsibility for Health and Social Care has been devolved since the Government of Wales Act 1998. So the vast majority of health and social care services utilised by people resident in Wales are overseen by the Welsh Assembly Government.
	On some occasions Welsh residents need to access health care in England, perhaps because it is a specialist service only available in England. From April 2011 to March 2012 there were 57,477(1) inpatient finished admission episodes(2) of Welsh residents in English hospitals.
	Some services are provided regardless of residence, such as the issuing of European Health Insurance Cards, which is done by the NHS Business Authority for both England and Wales.
	(1 )Hospital episode statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre.
	(2 )A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.

Welsh Language

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has a current Welsh Language scheme; when that scheme was adopted; and whether it has been reviewed since May 2011.

Daniel Poulter: This Government is fully committed to the Welsh language and fully committed to providing Government services in the Welsh language where there is demand for them.
	As health is a devolved responsibility and Department of Health publications do not normally impact on Wales, there is not a policy of routinely translating documents into Welsh. If there was demand for publications to be available in Welsh this would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

TREASURY

Air Passenger Duty

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the effect of a reduction in air passenger duty on connectivity to and from UK airports;
	(2)  what consideration his Department has given to the removal of air passenger duty for domestic air travel; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review and considers their effects in the round. Air Passenger Duty (APD) is a relatively efficient and non-regressive tax, which makes an important contribution to the public finances.
	It would not be possible under EU law to have different rates of APD on intra-UK flights than on flights from UK to other EU destinations.
	The UK currently has excellent connectivity. London's five airports serve more destinations worldwide than any other city in Europe, and the UK has the third largest aviation network in the world. The Government has set up the Airports Commission to provide an assessment of how to meet the UK's international connectivity needs and maintain the UK’s position as Europe’s most important aviation hub.

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) he and (b) officials in his Department spent on external assistance to prepare for (i) appearances before select committees and (ii) contact with the media in (A) 2011-12 and (B) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: I can confirm that neither the Chancellor nor any Civil Servants within his Department have incurred any expenditure in relation to external assistance to prepare for appearances before select committees and contact with the media during 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Economic Situation: Jersey

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the recent report by Capital Economics entitled Jersey's value to Britain.

Sajid Javid: The Government acknowledges the report by Capital Economics, and recognises the contribution of Jersey to the UK economy.

European Investment Bank

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the British Director of the European Investment Bank will support the draft proposals on Future Energy Lending Policy at the Board meeting on 23 July 2013.

Greg Clark: holding answer 18 July 2013
	In line with the draft proposals, the Board of Directors of the EIB discussed and adopted new principles for the revised screening and assessment criteria for energy projects. The UK Director of the European Investment Bank supported their adoption.

Financial Services

Guto Bebb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 2 July 2013, Official Report, column 551W, on financial services, 
	(1)  what representations his Department has made to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) concerning the number of businesses that have been offered redress as a result of the FCA redress scheme announced in January 2013;
	(2)  how many businesses mis-sold interest rate hedging products, as defined by the Financial Conduct Authority redress scheme announced in January 2013, have been offered financial redress; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Clark: The Financial Conduct Authority has agreed to publish regular updates on progress of the review, the first of which will be issued shortly. This will provide information on the pace of progress of the review.

Regulation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the title is of each regulation his Department (a) introduced and (b) revoked in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013 to date; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: The titles of each regulation the Treasury has introduced or revoked over the period asked are in the following lists. On 10 July the Government published the Sixth Statement of New Regulation, which documents the Government's progress in reducing the burdens of regulation. This gave details of the Treasury's contribution towards this effort. The Statement of New Regulation was accompanied by a written ministerial statement from the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sevenoaks (Michael Fallon).
	The document shows that the Government reduced the burden of regulation, within the scope of the One-in, Two-out rule, by £907 million per annum.
	Title of regulation introduced
	The Cross-Border Payments in Euro Regulations 2010
	The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2010
	The Banking Act 2009 (inter-Bank Payments Systems) (Disclosure and Publications of Specified Information) Regulations 2010
	The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) (Amendment) Order 2010
	The Building Societies (Financial Assistance) Order 2010
	The Building Societies (Insolvency and Special Administration)(Amendment) Order 2010
	The Al-Qaida and Taliban (Asset Freezing) Regulations 2010
	The Premium Savings Bonds (Amendment etc) Regulations 2010
	The Bank Administration (Scotland) (Amendment) Rules 2010
	The Bank Insolvency (England and Wales) (Amendment) Rules 2010
	The Building Society Special Administration (England and Wales) Rules 2010
	The Building Society Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2010
	The Bank Administration (England and Wales) Amendment Rules 2010
	The Building Society Insolvency (Scotland) Rules 2010
	The Iran (European Community Financial Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2010
	The Capital Requirements (Amendment) Regulations 2010
	The Mutual Societies (Electronic Communications) Order 2011
	The friendly societies (proxy voting) regulations 2011
	The Libya (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011
	The National Savings Bank (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	The Egypt (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011
	The Tunisia (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011
	The Ivory Coast (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011
	The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011
	The Iran (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011
	The Syria (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011
	The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Order 2011
	The Investment Bank Special Administration (England and Wales) Rules 2011
	The First Option Bonds (Exchange of Securities) Rules 2011
	The Somalia (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2010 (SI no. 2010/2956)
	The Financial Markets and Insolvency (Settlement Finality and Financial Collateral Arrangements) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (SI no. 2010/2993)
	The Somalia (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2010
	The Financial Markets and Insolvency (Settlement Finality and Financial Collateral Arrangements) (Amendment) Regulations 2010
	The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Administration Orders Relating to Insurers) Order 2010
	The Electronic Money Regulations 2011
	The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2011
	The Investment Bank Special Administration Regulations 2011
	The Libya (Financial Sanctions) Order
	The Electronic Money Regulations 2011 (SI no. 2011/99)
	The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Administration Orders Relating to Insurers) Order 2010 (SI no. 2010/3023)
	The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2011 (SI no. 2011/133)
	The Investment Bank Special Administration Regulations 2011 (SI no. 2011/245)
	The Investment Bank Special Administration Regulations 2011 (SI no. 2011/245)
	The Libya (Financial Sanctions) Order (SI 2011/548)
	The Money Laundering (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	The Prospectus Regulations 2011
	The Afghanistan (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011
	The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Carrying on Regulated Activities by way of Business) (Amendment) Order 2011
	The Investment Bank Special Administration (Scotland) Rules 2011
	The Libya (Asset-Freezing) (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	The Syria (Asset-Freezing) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 SI 2011/2479
	The Legislative Reform (Industrial and Provident Societies and Credit Unions) Order 2011
	The Recognised Auction Platforms Regulations 2011
	The Terrorism Act 2000 and Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Business in the Regulated Sector) Order
	The Al-Qaida (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011
	The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Exemption) (Amendment No.2) Order 2011
	The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Permissions, Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) (Northern Ireland Credit Unions) Order 2011
	The Money Laundering (Amendment No.2) Regulations 2011
	The Financial Restrictions (Iran) Order 2011
	The Terrorist Asset-Freezing etc. Act 2010 (Commencement) Order 2011
	The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Market Abuse) Regulations 2011
	The Protection of the Euro Against Counterfeiting (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	The Open-Ended Investment Companies (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	Libya Asset-Freezing (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	The Syria (European Union Financial Sanctions) Regulations 2012
	The Iran (European Union Financial Sanctions) Regulations 2012-01-27
	The Syria (European Union Financial Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	The Sudan (Asset Freezing) Regulations 2012
	The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Exemption) (Amendment) Order 2012
	The National Savings Bank (Investment Deposits) (Limits) (Amendment) Order 2012
	The Iraq (Asset Freezing) Regulations 2012
	The Financial Services (Omnibus 1 Directive) Regulations 2012
	The Capital Requirements (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	The Iran (European Union Financial Sanctions) Regulations
	Guinea-Bissau (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2012
	Burma/Myanmar (financial restrictions) (suspension) regulations
	The Republic of Guinea (Asset Freezing) Regulations 2012
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable instruments, etc.) (France and Monaco) Order, 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Belgium and Luxembourg) Order, 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Denmark) Order, 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Finland) Order, 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Greece) Order, 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Italy) Order, 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Netherlands) Order, 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Czechoslovakia) Order, 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Yugoslavia) Order, 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Siam) Order, 1946
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) Order, 1946
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (No. 2) Order, 1946
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Poland) Order, 1946
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Hungary) Order, 1946
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Romania) Order, 1947
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (General) Order, 1947
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Austria) Order, 1947
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Germany) Order, 1949
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Japan) Order, 1950
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Germany) Order, 1952
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc) (Revocation) Order 2012
	The Prospectus Regulations 2012
	The Terrorism Act 2000 and Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Business in the Regulated Sector) Order 2012
	The Payment Services Regulations 2012
	The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2012
	The Savings Certificates (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	The National Savings Stock Register (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	The Savings Certificates {Children's Bonus Bonds) (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Gibraltar) (Amendment) Order 2012
	The Undertakings for Collective Investment In Transferable Securities (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	The Money Laundering (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	The Terrorism Act 2000 and Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Business in the Regulated Sector) (No.2) Order 2012
	The Syria (European Union Financial Sanctions) (Amendment No.2) Regulations 2012
	The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Short Selling) Regulations 2012
	The Belarus (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2012
	Community Emissions Trading Scheme (Allocation of Allowances for Payment) Regulations 2012
	The Financial Restrictions (Iran) Order 2012
	The Iran (European Union Financial Sanctions) (Amendment No.2) Regulations 2012
	The Equality Act 201Q (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	The Regulated Covered Bonds (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Disclosure of Confidential Information) (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	The Eritrea (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2012
	The Democratic Republic of the Congo (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2012
	The Payments in Euro (Credit Transfers and Direct Debits) Regulations 2012
	The National Savings Bank (Amendment) Regulations 2013
	The Belarus (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2013
	Financial Restrictions (Iran) (Revocation) Order 2013
	The Financial Services Act 2012 (Transitional Provisions) (Rules and Miscellaneous Provisions) Order 2013
	The Iran (European Union Financial Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2013
	The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Prescribed Financial Institutions) Order 2013
	The Financial Services Act 2012 (Commencement No.1) Order 2013
	The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 (Commencement) Order 2013
	Financial Services Act Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions Order Financial Services Act (Mutual Societies) Order
	Financial Services and Markets Act (Threshold Conditions) Order 2013
	Financial Services and Markets Act (PRA-Regulated activities) 2013
	Financial Services and Markets Act (Financial Services Compensation Scheme) Order 2013
	Uncertificated Securities (amendment) Regulations 2013
	Financial Services Act (Consequential Amendments) Order 2013
	Financial Services Act (Misleading Statements and Impressions) Order 2013
	Financial Services Act (Consequential Amendments and Transitional No. 2) Order 2013
	Bank of England (Macro-prudential Measures) Order 2013
	Financial Services Act (Commencement No. 3) Order 2013
	Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2013
	Financial Services and Markets Act (Over the Counter Derivatives Central Counterparties and Trade Repositories) Regulations 2013
	The Zimbabwe (Financial Sanctions) (Suspension) Regulations 2013
	The Syria (European Union Financial Sanctions) (Amendment) Order
	The Burma/Myanmar (Financial Restrictions) (Revocation) Regulations 2013
	The Prospectus Regulations 2013
	Title of regulation revoked
	Al-Qaida and Taliban (United Nations Measures) (Amendment) Order 2002(a)
	Al-Qaida and Taliban (United Nations Measures) Order 2006(b)
	Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Administration Orders Relating to Insurers)
	Articles 2 to 8 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000
	Regulation 52 of the Insurers (Reorganisation and Winding Up) Regulations 2004(d)
	Article 77(2)(e) to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001
	The International Monetary Fund (Limit on Lending) Order 2009
	The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Contribution to Costs of Special Resolution Regime) Regulations 2009
	The Iran (European Community Financial Sanctions) Regulations 2007
	The Iran (European Community Financial Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2010
	Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2001
	Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2001 (Amendment) Regulations 2003
	Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2001 (Amendment) Regulations 2005
	Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2006
	Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2009
	Financial Restrictions Proceedings (UN Terrorism Orders) Order 2009
	The Friendly Societies (Proxy Voting) Regulations 1993
	Companies (Single Member Private Limited Companies) Regulations 1992 and Companies (Single Member Private Limited Companies) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 1992
	Syria (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011
	Syria (Asset-Freezing) (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	Credit Unions (Limit on Loans) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1986
	Credit Unions (Insurance against Fraud etc.) Order (Northern Ireland)
	Credit Unions (Authorized Investments) Regulations (Northern Ireland)
	Credit Unions (Limit on Membership) Order (Northern Ireland)
	Credit Unions (Limit on Shares) Order (Northern Ireland) 2006
	Credit Unions (Deposits and Loans) Order (Northern Ireland) 2006
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (France and Monaco) Order, 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Belgium and Luxembourg) Order, 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Denmark) Order, 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Finland) Order, 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Greece) Order, 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Italy) Order, 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Netherlands) Order, 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Czechoslovakia) Order 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Yugoslavia) Order, 1945
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable instruments, etc.) (Siam) Order, 1946
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable instruments, etc.) Order, 1946
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (No. 2) Order, 1946
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Poland) Order, 1946
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Hungary) Order, 1946
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Romania) Order, 1947
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (General) Order, 1947
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Austria) Order, 1947
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Germany) Order, 1949
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Japan) Order, 1950
	Trading with the Enemy (Transfer of Negotiable Instruments, etc.) (Germany) Order, 1952
	Iran (European Union Financial Sanctions) Regulations 2010
	Iran (European Union Financial Sanctions (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	The Community Emissions Trading Scheme (Allocation of Allowances for Payment) Regulations 2008
	Syria (European Union Financial Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	The Belarus (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2012
	Financial Restrictions (Iran) Order 2012
	Sections 131 B to 131 D of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (short selling rules)

Taxation: Exports

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps he has taken to provide export tax credits for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Sajid Javid: There is no direct tax credit for export-related activities. The Government has delivered a number of corporate tax reforms to make UK firms more competitive and give them a greater rate of return for export-related investment. This includes cutting the main rate of corporation tax, which will fall to 20% by 2015, reform to controlled foreign companies rules, the introduction of a Patent Box and more competitive R&D tax credits.
	The Government has also targeted export support through UKTI: at autumn statement 2012, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £70 million extra funding for UKTI in 2013-14 and 2014-15; and the 2013 spending review continued this increase into 2015-16. The extra funding covers a number of programmes to support exports including services to more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and more grants for SMEs to attend trade fairs overseas.

Welsh Language

Guto Bebb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether his Department has a current Welsh Language scheme; when that scheme was adopted; and whether it has been reviewed since May 2011;
	(2)  whether his Department provides services to people resident in Wales or usually resident in Wales.

Sajid Javid: This Government is fully committed to the Welsh language and fully committed to providing Government services in the Welsh language where there is demand for them.
	It is important that in the non-devolved areas sufficient support should be given to the Welsh language, and the Government is committed to ensuring this is done.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Apprentices

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Attorney-General 
	(1)  what strategies he has to create apprenticeships in the Law Officers’ Departments; and what plans he has to promote such strategies;
	(2)  how many apprenticeships the Law Officers’ Departments offered to people aged (a) 16 to 18, (b) 19 to 21 and (c) 22 to 26 years old in each year since 2010.

Oliver Heald: The Treasury Solicitor’s Department has offered eight apprenticeships since 2010. None of these opportunities were undertaken by people aged between 16 to 26-years-old.
	The Treasury Solicitor’s Department (TSol) has been working with Skills for Justice, a Sector Skills Council, alongside a number of private and public legal organisations, to develop National Occupational Standards in Legal Services. Their objective is to create apprenticeship opportunities for TSol administrative staff in legal services at skills levels 3 and 4 by April 2014. The scheme is an internal one and plans to promote it revolve primarily around internal communications.
	TSol offers legal training contracts each year as part of the Government Legal Service (GLS) Legal Trainee Scheme. They will continue to promote this offer on their website as well as working with the GLS Secretariat in promoting the scheme through university visits and attending Law Fairs.
	The TSol Vacation Placement Scheme offers a 5-day placement to law undergraduates and people who are completing a Graduate Diploma in Law, a Legal Practice Course or a Bar Professional Training Course, on an annual basis. The scheme is also promoted on the TSol website.
	The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has enrolled 174 apprentices in a range of roles since January 2012, with an additional 43 appointments expected as a result of live recruitment campaigns. The following table refers to the age ranges of current apprenticeships as recorded in CPS data management systems:
	
		
			  Age range CPS apprenticeships 
			 2012 16-18 14 
			  19-24 39 
			  25+ 66 
			    
			 2013 16-18 9 
			  19-24 33 
			  25+ 13 
		
	
	CPS has also worked with the Sector Skills Council, Skills for Justice, to develop new frameworks in Paralegal administration at level 3 and level 4, and a new apprenticeship in Victim and Witness Care at level 3. These developments enable more apprenticeship opportunities across the Criminal Justice Sector.
	The CPS is committed to supporting the Social Mobility and Youth Employment Framework (published by Civil Service Employment Policy in 2012). From January 2012, all roles at grade AO that need to be filled either on a temporary or permanent basis are considered as to the suitability for an apprenticeship vacancy. Since March 2012 there have been 35 separate recruitment campaigns for apprentices as a result of this approach. The CPS has appointed 108 new employees to apprenticeship positions, with some campaigns still ongoing. This is in addition to the 66 existing employees who have been enrolled on apprenticeship programmes.
	The CPS is also taking part in the pilot Civil Service Fast Track apprenticeship programme which has resulted in eight young people being appointed to permanent posts as part of their apprenticeship programme in paralegal, finance, communications and administration roles.
	All apprenticeship vacancies are advertised on the Civil Service Jobs web pages, and CPS is currently exploring working with the apprenticeship training providers to promote CPS apprenticeship vacancies to a wider audience. A single national recruitment campaign for apprentices is planned for autumn 2013 from which CPS would hope to draw from a pool of candidates for vacancies that are both part of this campaign and those that arise in the months following the campaign.
	The SFO has run three apprenticeship schemes for individuals aged between 16 and 24 since 2010 and appoint up to four apprentices aged between 16 and 26 in each financial year. Apprentices are appointed on 12 month fixed term contracts working towards either an NVQ level 2 or 3 qualification. The SFO works together with a training provider who is funded by the Learning and Skills Council and apprentices are allocated a mentor to provide additional support throughout the apprenticeship.
	During the period in question SFO has employed the following numbers of people as apprentices.
	2010-11: Three apprentices who were aged 16 to 18 on appointment and one aged 19 to 21.
	2011-12: One apprentice aged 16 to 18, two aged 19 to 21 and one aged 22 to 26.
	2013-14: Four apprentices aged 19 to 21.
	On successful completion of SFO apprenticeship, and provided there is a permanent role available, apprentices are offered a permanent contract.

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Attorney General how much (a) he and (b) officials in the Law Officers' Departments spent on external assistance to prepare for (i) appearances before select committees and (ii) contact with the media in (A) 2011-12 and (B) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Oliver Heald: None.

Crown Prosecution Service

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the value of the severance package to be paid to the Director of Public Prosecutions is expected to be when he steps down in October 2013.

Oliver Heald: The Director of Public Prosecutions was appointed on a fixed term contract for a five year period from 1 November 2008 to 31 October 2013. His salary was linked to that of a judge of the Court of Appeal and rendered him eligible to join a Civil Service pension scheme analogous to the judicial scheme pension arrangements. Any pension benefits accrued would be payable when the Director reaches the age of 65. No other payments arise.

Crown Prosecution Service

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many formal complaints from the judiciary the Crown Prosecution Service has received in each of the last seven years.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not collect data on the number of formal complaints received from the judiciary.

Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Attorney-General how much has been spent by the Law Officers' Departments (a) in total and (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by his Department for this purpose.

Oliver Heald: The total amount spent by the Crown Prosecution Service on equality and diversity issues during the last three years was £3,540,671. The following table provides the breakdown of each year’s recorded spending. These figures include staffing costs and running costs:
	
		
			 Equality & Diversity: Running and staff costs 2010-13 
			 £ 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 EDU - salary costs 890,565 661,483 743,899 
			 Equality & Diversity, Community Engagement Managers (EDCEM) - salary costs 200,000 200,000 200,000 
			 General administrative costs 215,376 289,318 140,031 
			 Total spend 1,305,941 1,150,801 1,083,929 
		
	
	
		
			 Equality & Diversity: Full-time equivalent staff in post: 2010-13 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Equality & Diversity (HQ staff) 11.50 9.40 7.2 
			 Area EDCEMs 13.00 13.00 13.00 
			 Total staff 24.5 22.4 20.2 
		
	
	The remaining Law Officers’ Departments do not employ any individuals solely involved in promoting equality and diversity issues, they do however have specific Equality and Diversity policies which all employees are expected to comply with. In addition the Treasury Solicitor’s Department and the Serious Fraud Office have working groups set up to monitor diversity and equality issues within these departments. It is not possible to reliably estimate the costs involved in these activities without incurring a disproportionate cost.
	The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is also part of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme and pays an annual membership fee. In 2012-13 the SFO paid £6,125 to Stonewall, in 2011-12 £1,800, and in 2010-11 £225. The sum for 2012-13 includes annual membership for 2013-14 and 2014-15. Membership for 2010-11 was paid for in 2009-10.

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2013, Official Report, column 352W, on prosecution, what triggered the review by the Crown Prosecution Service of its use of a single prosecutor on homicide cases and cases involving multiple defendants; and when he expects the review to be completed.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) keeps its guidance under regular review. CPS criteria for the instruction of more than one counsel, or QC alone, was first introduced in 2005 and revised in 2009. The latest consultation was triggered by a lapse of about three years since the previous revision. It was also apparent from discussions with the senior judiciary and others that there was external interest in this subject and a formal consultation allowed external parties the opportunity to contribute their views on the merits of the criteria. The review will be completed later in 2013.

Regulation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Attorney General what the title is of each regulation the Law Officers' Departments (a) introduced and (b) revoked in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013 to date; and if he will make a statement.

Oliver Heald: The Law Officers have introduced three statutory instruments since May 2010, details of which are outlined below. Each Order amended the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (Specified Proceedings) Order 1999. No statutory instruments have been revoked.
	
		
			 Department Date laid before Parliament Title of Regulation/Order 
			 AGO 26tfl June 2012 The Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (Specified Proceedings) (Amendment) Order 2012 
			 AGO 10th August 2012 The Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (Specified Proceedings) (Amendment No. 2) Order 2012 
			 AGO 26th October 2012 The Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (Specified Proceedings) (Amendment No. 3) Order 2012

Sentencing: Appeals

Philip Davies: To ask the Attorney General pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2013, Official Report, columns 12-13W, on sentencing: appeals, how many of the cases in each category of offence were referred to him by (a) victims or families of victims, (b) the police, (c) the Crown Prosecution Service and (d) other members of the public.

Oliver Heald: The information requested is contained in the following tables.
	
		
			 2010 
			 Offence category CPS General public/MP/Victim or victim's family 
			 Arson 2 0 
			 Burglary 10 0 
			 Driving deaths 4 6 
			 Drugs 32 1 
			 Firearms 7 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Hate crime 0 0 
			 Manslaughter 10 16 
			 Murder 9 5 
			 Robbery 28 1 
			 S.18 0APA 13 7 
			 Sexual offences 50 25 
			 Other 36 10 
		
	
	
		
			 2011 
			 Offence category CPS General public/MP/Victim or victim's family 
			 Arson 2 0 
			 Burglary 14 12 
			 Driving deaths 0 8 
			 Drugs 78 1 
			 Firearms 5 1 
			 Hate crime 1 0 
			 Manslaughter 12 6 
			 Murder 12 13 
			 Robbery 32 3 
			 s.18 OAPA 30 6 
			 Sexual offences 35 18 
			 Other 12 19 
		
	
	
		
			 2012 
			 Offence category CPS Victim or victim's family General public/MP 
			 Arson 1 0 0 
			 Burglary 18 11 1 
			 Driving deaths 4 3 6 
			 Drugs 37 0 1 
			 Firearms 3 1 1 
			 Hate crime 0 0 1 
			 Manslaughter 8 7 14 
			 Murder 5 5 11 
			 Robbery 46 3 2 
			 s.18 OAPA 17 3 4 
			 Sexual offences 43 15 66 
			 Other 12 3 28 
		
	
	In 2010 and 2011 the categories of victim/general public/MP were not recorded separately. The statistics for 2012, however, do separate the victim complaints from the general public complaints. The category of 'General public' may also include, for example, campaigning organisations.
	In some cases, requests to review the sentence were received from both the CPS and victims, MPs and/or the general public and the total figures may not therefore appear to be consistent with the answer given in the answer of 8th July 2013.

Sentencing: Appeals

Philip Davies: To ask the Attorney General pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2013, Official Report, columns 12-13W, on sentencing: appeals, for what offence each out of time case was for; and what the sentence was in each case.

Oliver Heald: The following table contains details on the out of time cases for referable offences between 2010 and 2012. In addition to this there were four cases in 2010 and two cases in 2011 for non-referable offences.
	
		
			 Offence Sentence 
			 2010  
			 Rape and false imprisonment Life with a minimum of 9 years' imprisonment 
			 Rape 4 years' imprisonment 
			 Rape 2 years' imprisonment 
			 Rape 2 years' imprisonment 
			 Rape 12 months conditional discharge 
			 Manslaughter 3 years' 6 months imprisonment 
			 Manslaughter Indeterminate sentence for public protection, minimum term of 4 years 
			 Manslaughter 4.5 years' imprisonment 
			 Manslaughter 5.5 years' imprisonment 
			 Murder Life with a minimum of 14 years' 
			 Murder Life with a minimum of 15 years' 
			 Murder 10 years' imprisonment. 
			 Death by dangerous driving 3.5 years' imprisonment. 
			   
			 2011  
			 S.18 Offences Against Persons Act Imprisonment for a minimum of 3 years and 230 days for public protection. 
			 Murder 11 years' imprisonment 
			   
			 2012  
			 Possession of a firearm 12 months imprisonment suspended for 2 years 
			 Murder Life with a minimum of 13 years and 124 days 
			 Murder Life with a minimum of 17 years and 152 days 
			 Murder Life with a minimum of 16 years and 364 days 
		
	
	
		
			 Murder Life with a minimum of 53 years and 364 days 
			 Murder Life with a minimum of 16 years and 307 days 
			 Sexual Offences 2 year supervision order 
			 S.18 Offences Against Persons Act 5 years' imprisonment 
			 Manslaughter 28 months imprisonment 
			 Other 8 months imprisonment 
			 Other 20 months imprisonment 
			 Other Community sentence and unpaid work

Serious Fraud Office

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how much the Serious Fraud Office spent on away days in 2012-13.

Oliver Heald: The Serious Fraud Office spent £5,090 on one away day in 2012-13.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Accountancy

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on contracts with (a) Deloitte, (b) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (c) KPMG and (d) Ernst and Young in each year since 2008.

Brandon Lewis: The following table sets out the amounts spent on contracts with the mentioned organisations since 2008:
	
		
			 nearest £000 (inc VAT) 
			 Organisation 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Deloitte 49 351 473 20 0 
			 KPMG 157 44 216 93 12 
			 PricewaterhouseCoopers 2,945 2,977 2,527 61 229 
			 Total 3,151 3,372 3,216 174 241 
		
	
	Our procurement records show that there were no spend data for Ernst and Young.
	DCLG Internal Audit is part of Cross Departmental Internal Audit Service, the recently created cross departmental internal audit service which provides internal audit services to a number of different central Government bodies. As such the increase in PricewaterhouseCoopers spend recorded in the DCLG accounts is not directly related to an increase in PricewaterhouseCoopers use solely by DCLG, but a reflection of an increase in demand from across the Cross Departmental Internal Audit Service client base. We have recovered the additional spend through charges to our clients and there were no spend for DCLG audit programme in 2012-13.
	Since January 2011, central Government Departments have been required to publish on Contracts Finder information on the contracts they award at:
	www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/
	In addition, my Department publishes details of spend over £250 at the following website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?keywords=transparency +data&publication_filter_option=all&topics%5B%5 D=all&departments%5B%5D=department-for-communities-and-local-government&world_locations%5B%5D=all&direction =before&date=2013-08-01
	Across Whitehall in 2012-13, in taking stronger control of the consulting and temporary labour bills this government has saved over £1.6 billion.

Affordable Housing

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable homes (a) were built in each financial year from 2010-11 to 2012-13 and (b) he expects will be built in each financial year from 2013-14 to 2017-18.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 2 July 2013
	As outlined in my Department's press notice of 13 August, we estimate 150,000 more affordable homes have been delivered in England under this Government; as the notes to editors explains, the precise figures for 2012-13 will be available in November.
	As I stated in my answer to the right hon. Member of 9 July 2013, Official Report, column 185W, we do not publish specific yearly forecasts of affordable housing building.
	Notwithstanding, I would note:
	We are investing £19.5 billion of public and private money in new affordable homes in the spending review period from 2011 to 2015. This will help deliver 170,000 affordable homes by 2015.
	Government guarantees worth up to £10 billion, and capital grant of £450 million, will support delivery of up to a further 30,000 affordable homes for rent and home ownership by March 2017.
	After the current spending round period, we are investing £3.3 billion into the new Affordable Homes Programme from 2015-16. There will also be Right-to-Buy sales receipts reinvested in affordable housing. We expect this public investment to help lever in up to £20 billion of private finance on top, and deliver a further 165,000 homes between 2015-16 and 2017-18.

Affordable Housing

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which of the 165,000 new affordable homes for 2015-16 to 2017-18 announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 27 June 2013 in his oral statement will be (a) homes built using the £3.3 billion of investment, (b) homes provided under section 106 agreements and (c) homes built as right-to-buy replacements.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 2 July 2013
	The £3.3 billion of public investment underpins our plan to build 165,000 new affordable homes and will be accompanied by up to £20 billion of private investment. This very large sum of money will allow us to respond to changing circumstances, including the inevitable uncertainty about supply from non-grant funded sources. As our aim is to use a competition for grant to get the most homes at the lowest possible cost per unit, we do not in any case think it would be sensible to set out sub-targets for different parts of the programme.

Apprentices

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many apprenticeships his Department offered to people aged (a) 16 to 18, (b) 19 to 21 and (c) 22 to 26 years old in each year since 2010;
	(2)  what strategies he has to create apprenticeships in his Department; and what plans he has to promote such strategies.

Brandon Lewis: We are actively supporting the Government's Civil Service Apprenticeship Scheme. We filled 10 apprentice positions in January 2013 (two were 16 to 18, six were 19 to 21, two were 22 to 26). These apprentices are taking part in a tailored learning programme, leading to a technical certificate in Business Administration at NVQ level 2.
	We did not recruit any apprenticeships in 2010-11 or 2011-12 due to the Department's broader recruitment freeze and restructuring which entailed reductions in the number of staff, helping deliver savings for the taxpayer.
	We intend to continue to offer apprenticeships as part of our wider resourcing strategy in order to build a strong pipeline of potential candidates for future positions throughout the organisation. This sits within the context of our wider approach to developing and managing talent within the Department and across Government.

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much (a) he and (b) officials in his Department spent on external assistance to prepare for (i) appearances before select committees and (ii) contact with the media in (A) 2011-12 and (B) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government did not spend any money on external assistance preparing for appearances before select committees and preparing for contact with the media in 2011-12 and 2012-13.
	In comparison, Ministers in the last Administration spent at least £2,115 on public speaking training as outlined in the answer of 15 October 2012, Official Report, column 228W.

Food

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of all food procured for his Department was sourced from (a) British producers, (b) small and medium-sized enterprises and (c) producers which met British buying standards in the latest period for which figures are available.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government’s food is procured as follows: 73% is from British producers, over 40% is from small and medium-sized enterprises, and all producers in the supply chain meet the Government Buying Standard for Food and Catering.
	Our catering supplier is also required to provide healthy eating options in our canteen, including fresh and seasonal produce.
	The procurement from British producers has increased from 35% in 2010 and from 56% in 2011.

Forests: Planning Permission

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department gives to local authorities on the protection of ancient woodlands in the planning system.

Nicholas Boles: holding answer 18 July 2013
	The National Planning Policy Framework gives strong protection to ancient woodland. It makes clear that planning permission should be refused for development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats, including ancient woodland, unless the need for, and benefits of, the development in that location clearly outweigh the loss.

Grant Thornton

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on contracts with Grant Thornton in each year since 2008.

Brandon Lewis: The information requested is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Amount (£) including VAT 
			 2008-09 109,461 
			 2009-10 136,608 
			 2010-11 102,308 
			 2011-12 123,006 
			 2012-13 109,075 
		
	
	Since January 2011, central Government Departments have been required to publish on Contracts Finder information on the contracts they award at:
	www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/
	In addition, my Department publishes details of spend over £250 at the following website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?keywords=transparency+data&publication_filter_ option=all&topics%5B%5D=all&departments%5B%5D= department-for-communities-and-local-government&world_locations%5B%5D=all&direction= before&date=2013-08-01
	Across Whitehall in 2012-13, in taking stronger control of the consulting and temporary labour bills, this Government has saved over £1.6 billion of taxpayers’ money.

Green Belt

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to protect green belt land from inappropriate and unsustainable development.

Nicholas Boles: The coalition agreement explicitly states that we will maintain green belt protection. The green belt has a valuable role protecting against urban sprawl and providing a green lung round our towns and cities.
	The National Planning Policy Framework, which safeguards national green belt protection, explains how the green belt serves to:
	check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas;
	prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another;
	assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment;
	preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and
	assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.
	This Government has abolished the last Administration's top-down regional strategies which sought to delete or undermine green belt protection in 30 towns and cities across England.
	As outlined in the written statement of 1 July 2013, Official Report, column 24WS, our planning policy on traveller sites states that both temporary and permanent traveller sites are inappropriate development in green belt. In some cases, the green belt is not given sufficient protection in this context. Accordingly the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), will give particular scrutiny to traveller site appeals in green belt, so that he can consider the extent to which this Government's clear policy intentions are being fulfilled.
	In addition, as explained in the written statement of 29 July 2013, Official Report, House of Lords, column 162WS, we are proposing a further strengthening of green belt protection by deleting the current policy requirement to give special consideration to the need for waste management facilities in the green belt.

Housing

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the name is of each housing initiative announced by the Government since May 2010.

Mark Prisk: There is no compiled list of “housing initiatives”. Rather I refer the hon. Member to the Government's comprehensive and detailed Housing Strategy, published in November 2011, a copy of which is in the Library of the House and online at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/laying-the-foundations-a-housing-strategy-for-england--2
	This clearly lays out the different steps we are taking on housing.
	More broadly, the Government's ongoing key policies are clearly laid out on my Department's website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/topics/housing
	under the following four themes:
	Increasing the number of available homes,
	Improving the rented housing sector,
	Helping people to buy a home, and
	Providing housing support for older and vulnerable people.

Housing: Construction

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the potential financial implications for his Department of not discounting demolitions on regeneration sites from the New Homes Bonus calculations over the lifetime of the scheme. [R]

Mark Prisk: Such a policy change (not discounting demolitions) would introduce a new financial incentive for councils to demolish homes.
	It would entail a relative redistribution in local authority funding towards councils
	which demolished more homes, away from those which did not. This is not a change that I am considering. As I outlined in my written statement of 10 May 2013, Official Report, columns 13-14WS, this Government has placed a greater emphasis on refurbishment and getting empty homes back into productive use, in contrast to the last Administration’s obsession with demolition.

Housing: Construction

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of (a) planning permissions given for new homes, (b) enactment on planning permissions for new homes started, (c)  new homes completed and (d)  social homes completed in each of the last six month periods over the last three years.

Nicholas Boles: Quarterly statistics on planning applications can be found online at:
	www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-local-government/series/planning-applications-statistics
	Quarterly statistics on house building are online at:
	www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building
	Live tables on affordable housing supply, published by year, are online at:
	www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply
	Figures for the number of enactment of planning permissions for new homes over the last three years are not centrally held.
	My Department does hold some information from Glenigan on sites with 10 or more units. They estimate that as of June 2013 there were an estimated 495,700 units with planning permission. Of these, 234,800 had already started on site, 189,900 were progressing towards a start, 60,500 were classed as on hold or shelved and 10,500 were being sold or information was not available.
	As I noted in my answer of 9 July 2013, Official Report, column 189W, this illustrates there is little evidence of land banking or land hoarding in practice. I also refer the hon. Member to that answer on what steps we are taking to help kick start stalled sites.

Local Government Finance

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what level of reserves is held by local authorities in England and Wales.

Brandon Lewis: Latest published data show that at 31 March 2012 non-schools revenue reserves were £16.4 billion in England. The Department does not collect data on the level of non-schools revenue reserves for Wales.
	In December, we published the best practice document, ‘50 ways to save’, which recommended to councils:
	“Utilise £16 billion of reserves creatively: ....Many ‘earmarked’ reserves do not actually have a proper purpose. Make creative use of reserves to address short-term costs, such as restructuring or investing now to realise savings in the longer-term (e.g. ‘invest to save’ projects).”

Local Government: Constituencies

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans his Department has to ensure that appropriate signage will be placed correctly at historic county boundaries.

Brandon Lewis: Ministers are currently reviewing what further steps can be taken to support recognition and awareness of England's traditional counties, including encouraging appropriate local signage.

Out of Town Shopping Centres

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to assist local authorities in identifying and offsetting any negative effects of out of town shopping centres on town centres.

Nicholas Boles: The Government is fully committed to supporting town centres. Our National Planning Policy Framework sets out clearly that local councils should recognise town centres as the hearts of their communities and pursue policies to support their viability and vitality. Specifically, it requires that local planning authorities apply a sequential and impact test to planning applications for certain uses, such as retail, leisure and office, that are not in an existing centre and are not in accordance with an up-to-date local plan. Where an application fails to satisfy the sequential test or is likely to have significant adverse impact it should be refused.
	Our policy also supports the retention and re-introduction of markets in town centres, makes clear that local approaches to parking should support town centres, and that the needs of retail, leisure and other main town centre uses should be met in full. We have taken action to help rejuvenate high streets by backing communities across the country with a multi-million pound package of support, providing over £80 million in loans for start-up companies and doubling small business rate relief to help small entrepreneurs. Since the publication of the Portas Review into the future of our high streets last summer, we have established 27 Portas Pilots and 333 Town Teams to test different approaches to revitalising the high street, while the 500 neighbourhood plans being developed give local communities the opportunity to support their town's high streets.

Staff

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on (a) recruitment agency fees, (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and (c) staff training in each of the last 12 months.

Brandon Lewis: We have interpreted recruitment agency fees to mean companies (third party suppliers) that we engage in recruiting permanent staff for the Department. We have spent £8,312 (excluding VAT) on recruitment agency fees in the last 12 months to July 2013.
	To place this in context, our departmental audited annual accounts for the core Department show that total staff costs fell from £216 million in 2009-10 to £99 million in 2012-13, a reduction of 54% in cash terms, or a saving of £117,000,000 a year. The number of staff has been reduced from 3,781 full-time equivalent in 2009-10 to 1,681 in 2012-13, a reduction of 56%.
	We have not made any such outplacement agencies fees in the last 12 months.
	It would involve disproportionate cost to identify spend specifically on staff training in each of the last 12 months as this information is not readily available, as this is recorded within a wider development budget category.

Travellers: Planning Permission

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the statement of 1 July 2013, Official Report, columns 24-5W, on planning and Travellers, if he will extend the provisions put in place for greenbelt land to areas designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: Our planning policy for traveller sites states that local planning authorities should strictly limit the development of new traveller sites in the open countryside. This must be read in conjunction with the National Planning Policy Framework which accords great weight to conserving the landscape and scenic beauty of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
	Notwithstanding, I am open to representations on whether further steps are needed to reform planning policy on travellers sites.

Wales

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department provides services to people resident in Wales or usually resident in Wales.

Brandon Lewis: In relation to Wales, the matters for which my Department is responsible are largely devolved to the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Government. We are, however, responsible for giving development consent for some of the categories of nationally significant infrastructure projects under the Planning Act 2008 across both England and Wales.

Welsh Language

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has a current Welsh Language scheme; when that scheme was adopted; and whether it has been reviewed since May 2011.

Brandon Lewis: This Government is fully committed to the Welsh language and fully committed to providing Government services in the Welsh language where there is demand for them.
	The Welsh Measure was adopted in 2011. There has not been a review by the Department of Communities and Local Government into the Welsh Language scheme since its introduction.

Youth Work

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding his Department allocated for youth work in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: The information is as follows:
	Local authority spending on youth services
	Most spending decisions on youth services are made at a local level as local authorities are in the best position to assess local needs and priorities.
	Local authority funding is not ring fenced and so local authorities can allocate resources according to the local context. Central government's role is to give them the freedom and flexibilities to make the most effective decisions.
	Locals authorities' planned and actual expenditure on youth services, 'where it is segregated from other services, is published at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/chidrenandyoungpeople/strategy/financeandfunding/section 251
	Youth and Community funding is one of the services supported by the local Government Finance Settlement, which is arranged through my Department. It is not possible to say how much funding has been provided for any particular service.
	DCLG's spending on youth services
	During the period 2010-11 to 2012-13 my Department has funded some specific projects targeted at youth work, that align with the strategic objectives of the Department.
	As part of our Integration strategy:
	1. Youth United—funding of £10 million over 2 and half years (of which £3,833,860 was paid in 2012-13, with the remainder falling in future years). Youth United Foundation is a coalition of the major uniformed youth volunteering organisations, such as the Scouts and Girl Guides, which engage with young people, offering a range of development opportunities such as leadership and employment skills. The programme aims to increase the provision of places in areas that have traditionally had limited opportunities for young people.
	http://www,youthunited.org.uk/
	2. National Citizens Service legacy project—£105,000 (£30,000 in 11-12 and £75,000 in 12-13) to the Young Advisors Company Ltd (a registered charity), to fund leadership and communications training for NCS graduates, enabling them to participate in volunteering after they leave the NCS programme.
	3. Industrial Cadets—£200,000 (of which £115,000 in 2012-13, with the remainder in future years) to the Engineering Development Trust, to support a cadet programme to enthuse young people about the opportunities available to them through a career in the Industrial sector. Linking large and prestigious industrial firms to schools in deprived areas.
	http://industrialcadets.org.uk/
	4. Young Advisors Scheme support—a contribution of £133,500 in 10-11 to the Young Advisors Company Ltd for the support and expansion of the Young Advisors scheme.
	As part of our Homelessness strategy:
	1. St Basil's—funding of £80,000 in 2010-2011, £180,000 in 2011-2012 and £180,000 in 2012-2013, to support their work on tackling youth homelessness.
	2. Shelter—£20,000 in 2012-2013 to develop a website as a resource for providers working with young people. The website includes practical, evidence-based information and advice to help solve young people's housing problems.
	Troubled Families Programme
	Since 2012-13 my Department has taken on the delivery of the Troubled Families programme. Announced in December 2011 by the Prime Minister, the Troubled Families Programme is a £448 million three year programme which aims to turn around the lives of 120,000 families by the end of this Parliament. The funding is drawn from six Government Departments, including DCLG. Of the £448 million budget, £136 million was paid to local authorities in 2012-13. The remainder will fall in future financial years.
	Our payments by results scheme includes specific measures for the children and young people in these families, stating that a council may claim a result when:
	each child in the family has had fewer than 3 exclusions from school and at least 85% attendance over the last three school terms; and
	the number of proven offences by all young people in the family has reduced by at least a third in the last 6 months; and
	the antisocial behaviour of the whole family has reduced by at least 60% over the last 6 months.
	Or
	one member of the family has moved off benefits, into work and kept this job for at least 3 months. Further details can be found in our Financial Framework:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-troubled-famiIies-programme-financial-framework
	See the Financial Framework for details of payments attributable to each result:
	https://www.gov.ukgovernment/publications/the-troubIed-families-programme-financial-framework

DEFENCE

Apprentices

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many apprenticeships his Department offered to people aged (a) 16 to 18, (b) 19 to 21 and (c) 22 to 26 years old in each year since 2010;
	(2)  what strategies he has to create apprenticeships in his Department; and what plans he has to promote such strategies.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is pleased to be recognised as the single largest deliverer of apprenticeships in the UK. Apprenticeships are firmly embedded across armed forces initial training. 95% of Army recruits enrol in an apprenticeship each year, most of whom complete it within two years. Apprenticeships are now the means by which the majority of service personnel develop the skills that they need to succeed on operations.
	Defence training for armed forces personnel is governed by a systematic approach that ensures all training is regularly re-assessed to ensure it delivers what we need. This process provides the mechanism by which we can examine options for further development, including apprenticeships and higher apprenticeships where appropriate.
	The MOD has also been heavily involved in civilian apprenticeship delivery for many years and is the largest deliverer of such apprenticeships across Government Departments. The MOD works closely with other Government Departments regarding civilian apprenticeship delivery generally.
	Figures for the three services and also for civilian apprenticeships are presented in the following tables.
	Royal Navy
	The Royal Navy organise their management information on the basis of apprenticeships which are started in a calendar year.
	
		
			 Age 2010 2011 2012 2013(1) 
			 16 to 18 691 321 350 178 
			 19 to 21 1,139 686 1,091 511 
			 22 to 26 1,029 729 1,063 555 
			 (1) Provisional 
		
	
	Army
	The Army hold management information based on the numbers of soldiers who achieved an apprenticeship in an academic year (1 August to 31 July) rather than the date started.
	
		
			 Age 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13(1) 
			 16 to 18 2,860 2,706 1,633 1,182 
			 19 to 21 2,154 2,310 1,693 1,116 
			 22 to 26 2,267 2,336 2,007 1,444 
			 (1) Provisional 
		
	
	Royal Air Force
	Information held by the RAF is based on the number of new apprenticeship registrations in each academic year.
	
		
			 Age 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13(1) 
			 16 to 18 440 173 184 138 
			 19 to 21 957 715 764 484 
			 22 to 26 674 624 683 564 
			 (1) Provisional 
		
	
	Civilian
	The MOD runs two engineering apprentice recruitment schemes for civilians, known as Craft and Technician. In addition, the MOD offers apprenticeships to its existing civilian staff through an arrangement delivered by Learn Direct. Localised apprenticeships are in use across defence, although information about these is not held centrally. The information presented here does not include MOD trading funds or agencies.
	
		
			 Engineering Craft Scheme Intake 
			 Age 2010 2011 2012 2013(1) 
			 16 to18 4 4 4 4 
			 19 to 21 1 3 1 0 
			 22 to 26 1 0 0 2 
			 (1) Anticipated 
		
	
	
		
			 Engineering Technician Scheme Intake 
			 Age 2010 2011 2012 
			 16 to 18 18 10 6 
			 19 to 24 27 27 12 
			 25 plus 8 9 4 
		
	
	In September 2013 we expect to recruit a total of 63 Engineering Technician apprentices; their age profile cannot yet be determined. The age breakdown presented for Engineering Technician apprentices is based on available internal management statistics. A restructured age breakdown along the lines requested has not been possible in the available time.
	The Craft and Technician schemes invite applications annually from schools, colleges and through the media.
	
		
			 Workplace Apprenticeships delivered by Learn Direct for specified age groups 
			 Age 2010 2011 2012 2013 
			 16 to 18 6 1 1 1 
			 19 to 21 85 23 7 1 
			 22 to 26 140 65 39 17 
		
	
	A service level agreement between the MOD and Learn Direct offers existing staff a route to a workplace apprenticeship on a voluntary basis. Since its introduction in 2009 over 3,000 MOD staff across all age groups have undertaken one of the apprenticeships on offer.

Armed Forces: Young People

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many recruits aged below 18 years have gone absent without leave (a) in the last five years and (b) since the Armed Forces (Terms of Service) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 were introduced;
	(2)  how many recruits have (a) requested and (b) been granted discharge as of right under the rules introduced in The Armed Forces (Terms of Service) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 since that legislation was implemented; and what the length of time was between each recruit's initial request for and their date of discharge.

Mark Francois: The information requested on absence without leave for recruits below the age of 18 is only available for those who were classed as long-term absent for 21 days or more. These data are set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Total 
			 2008-09 201 
			 2009-10 30 
			 2010-11 10 
			 2011-12 10 
			 2012-13(1) 10 
			 Since 12 July 2011 10 
			 Total 80 
			 (1) The Armed Forces (Terms of Service) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 were brought into force on 12 July 2011. Note: The totals and sub-totals have been rounded separately and may not equal the sums of their rounded parts. When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in ‘5’ have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. 
		
	
	The number of recruits requesting and granted discharge as of right under the amended regulations, and instances of absence under 21 days, are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, there are no known examples in which a formal application for discretionary discharge under the ‘Under 18 Discharge as of Right’ scheme has been rejected.

Armed Forces: Young People

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when the Attestation Papers for armed forces recruits were updated to include the extended rights of discharge for those enlisted below the age of 18 as introduced in The Armed Forces (Terms of Service) (Amendment) Regulations 2011, paragraph 9; and if he will place a copy of these papers in the Library;
	(2)  what official documentation is given to armed forces recruits aged under 18 and their parents which specify the extended rights of discharge introduced in The Armed Forces (Terms of Service) (Amendment) Regulations 2011; and if he will place a copy of such papers in the Library.

Mark Francois: Since the Armed Forces (Terms of Service) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 came into force the extended right of discharge for recruits below the age of 18 has been implemented by each of the three services.
	Recruits under 18, and their parents, initially received oral briefings while documentation was updated. All three services’ attestation papers reflect the regulations in their latest iterations.
	The naval service and the RAF changed their attestation documentation over the last year and the Army, because of the transfer of operations to the Recruiting Partnering Project with Capita, and the size and scale of their operation, have just completed updating their forms.
	Armed forces recruits under the age of 18, and their parents, still receive an oral brief and copies of the offer of service. Copies of these papers for all three services have been placed in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Young People

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken and guidance he has issued to ensure that recruiting officers, commanding officers, prospective recruits and their parents are made aware of the extended rights of discharge for those enlisted below the age of 18 introduced in The Armed Forces (Terms of Service) (Amendment) Regulations 2011.

Mark Francois: A Defence Instruction and Notice was issued in December 2011 providing service-wide instruction, including to all commanding officers and recruitment establishments, on the changes to the rights of discharge for those enlisted below the age of 18. This information is verbally emphasised to prospective recruits and their parents or guardians during the recruiting process and should now be reflected on the attestation papers if the individual subsequently enlists.

Regulation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the title is of each regulation his Department (a) introduced and (b) revoked in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013 to date; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: The following regulations were introduced:
	2010
	The Armed Forces (Redundancy, Resettlement and Gratuity Earnings Schemes) Order 2010— (SI 2010/345)
	The Armed Forces (Redundancy, Resettlement and Gratuity Earnings Schemes) (No.2) Order 2010—(SI 2010/832)
	The Personal Injuries (Civilians) Scheme (Amendment) Order 2010—(SI 2010/283)
	The Atomic Weapons Establishment (Awe) Burghfield Byelaws 2010—(SI 2010/249)
	The Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) (Amendment) Order 2010—(SI 2010/1723)
	The Reserve Forces Act 1996 (Isle of Man) Regulations 2010—(SI 2010/2643)
	The Reserve Forces Appeal Tribunals (Isle of Man) Rules 2010—(SI 2010/2644)
	The Armed Forces Act (Continuation) Order 2010—(SI 2010/2475)
	The Visiting Forces (Designation) Order 2010—(SI 2010/2970)
	2011
	The Armed Forces Redundancy Schemes 2006 and the Armed Forces Redundancy Etc. Schemes 2010 (Amendment) Order 2011—(SI 2011/208)
	The Personal Injuries (Civilians) Scheme (Amendment) Order 2011—(SI 2011/811)
	The Naval, Military and Air Forces Etc. (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions (Amendment) Order 2011—(SI 2011/235)
	The Northwood Headquarters Byelaws 2011—(SI 2011/3102)
	The Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) Order 2011—(SI 2011/517)
	The Pensions Appeal Tribunals Act 1943 (Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme) (Rights of Appeal) Regulations 2011—(SI 2011/1239)
	The Pensions Appeal Tribunals Act 1943 (Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme) (Time Limit for Appeals) (Amendment) Regulations 2011—(SI 2011/1240)
	The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Trading Fund Order 2011—(SI 2011/1330)
	The Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2005 (Amendment) Order 2011—(SI 2011/1364)
	The Armed Forces (Terms of Service) (Amendment) Regulations 2011—(SI 2011/1523)
	Harbours, Docks, Piers and Ferries - The Clyde Dockyard Port of Gareloch and Loch Long Order 2011—(SI 2011/1680)
	The Thetford Range Byelaws 2011—(SI 2011/1142)
	The Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011—(SI 2011/1848)
	The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Armed Forces) (Amendment) Order 2011—(SI 2011/2282)
	The Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) (Amendment) Order 2011—(SI 2011/2552)
	2012
	The Armed Forces Redundancy Scheme 2006, The Armed Forces Redundancy Etc. Schemes 2010 and the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2005 (Amendment) Order 2011—(SI 2011/3013)
	The Armed Forces Act 2011 (Commencement No.1, Transitional and Transitory Provisions) Order 2012—(SI 2012/669 (C.15))
	The Ministry of Defence Police (Performance) Regulations 2012—(SI 2012/808)
	The Personal Injuries (Civilians) Scheme (Amendment) Order 2012—(SI 2012/670)
	The Northwood Headquarters Byelaws 2011—(SI 2011/3102)
	The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (Designation of Vessels And Controlled Sites) Order 2012—(SI 2012/1110)
	The Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) (Amendment) Order 2012—(SI 2012/1573)
	The Armed Forces (Enhanced Learning Credit Scheme and Further and Higher Education Commitment Scheme) Order 2012—(SI 2012/1796)
	The Ot Moor Range Byelaws 2012—(SI 2012/1478)
	The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Armed Forces) (Amendment) Order 2012—(SI 2012/2505)
	The Armed Forces Act (Continuation) Order 2012—(SI 2012/1750)
	The Armed Forces Act 2011 (Commencement No.2) Order—(SI 2012/2921 (CI 16))
	The Armed Forces (Powers of Stop and Search, Search, Seizure and Retention) Order 2012—(SI 2012/2919)
	2013
	The Armed Forces Act 2011 (Commencement No.3) Order 2013—(SI 2013/784 (C.37))
	The Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) (Amendment) Order 2013—(SI 2013/436)
	The Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme (Consequential Provisions: Subordinate Legislation) Order 2013—(SI 2013/591)
	The Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) (Consequential Provisions: Primary Legislation) Order 2013—(SI 2013/796)
	The Naval, Military and Air Forces Etc. (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions (Amendment) Order 2013—(SI 2013/241)
	The Personal Injuries (Civilians) Scheme (Amendment) Order 2013—(SI 2013/707)
	The Caversfield SFA Byelaws 2012—(SI 2012/3088)
	The Visiting Forces (Designation) Order 2013—(SI 2013/540)
	The Armed Forces (Court Martial) Rules 2013—(SI 2013/1851)
	The Armed Forces (Retrial for Serious Offences) Order 2013—(SI 2013/1852)
	The Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) (Consequential Provisions: Primary Legislation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2013—Awaiting Parliamentary Approval
	The Armed Forces (Alcohol Limits for Prescribed Safety - Critical Duties) Regulations 2013—Awaiting Parliamentary Approval
	Armed Forces Act (Continuation) Order 2013—Awaiting Parliamentary Approval
	The Armed Forces (Financial Penalty Enforcement Orders) (Amendment) Regulations 2013—(SI 2013/1761)
	The Armed Forces (Remission of Fines) Order 2013—Awaiting Parliamentary Approval
	The following regulations were revoked:
	2010
	None, although two areas of secondary legislation were reviewed: Regulations governing the Service Pensions Order (war pensions) and the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS)
	2011
	The Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) Order 2011
	The Pensions Appeal Tribunals (Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation) (Rights of Appeal) Regulations 2005
	The Pensions Appeal Tribunals (Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme) (Rights of Appeal) Amendment Regulations 2006
	The Defence Research Agency Trading Fund Order 1993
	The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency Trading Fund Order 1995
	The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency Trading Fund (Amendment) Order 1996
	The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Trading Fund Order 2001
	The Thetford Rifle Range in the County of Norfolk Byelaws 1916
	The Clyde Dockyard Port of Gareloch and Loch Long Order 1967
	The Clyde Dockyard Port of Gareloch and Loch Long (Amendment) Order 1983
	Additionally, in November 2011, the Armed Forces Act 2011 received Royal Assent. This Act repealed the Naval Medical Compassionate Fund Act 1915 and also revoked the Naval Medical Compassionate Fund Order 2008
	2012
	The Ot Moor Range Byelaws 1980
	2013
	Part 8 of Schedule 2 to the Armed Forces (Court Martial) Rules 2009
	It should also be noted that each Armed Forces Act (Continuation) Order remains in force for one year only.

Temporary Employment

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many individual contracts have been issued for manpower substitution by his Department in each financial year since 2007;
	(2)  how many days have been worked by staff employed as manpower substitutes in his Department in each financial year since 2007.

Mark Francois: In 2007, the Ministry of Defence (MOD), excluding its Trading Funds, began to operate centrally administered manpower substitution contracts which provide MOD business units with access to short-term staff known as agency workers. These arrangements provide placements at agreed fixed rates on a national basis, thereby offering benefits to the entire Department. The first centralised contracts provided clerical/administrative and secretarial agency workers. This has expanded over time to a centralised Manpower Substitution Service (MSS) owned by Defence Business Services (DBS) which also encompasses the provision of interim professionals (including HR, finance and audit, project and programme management and procurement), specialist IT workers, health care and dental grades and Skill Zone workers, drivers and security guards.
	The information held centrally on the MOD's MSS database reflects this broadening of scope. It records the number of centrally-held individual manpower substitution contracts rather than the number of different agency staff who may have worked within MOD.
	
		
			 Financial year Number of individual manpower substitution contracts 
			 2008-09 1,348 
			 2009-10 1,815 
			 2010-11 1,175 
			 2011-12 3,171 
			 2012-13 4,021 
		
	
	The database used to capture this information was set up in late 2007 and therefore full data from financial year 2007-08 is unavailable. These data do not capture pre-existing locally arranged contracts, which business units may have had with recruitment agencies prior to the introduction of the new mandatory centralised arrangements, nor locally organised manpower substitution arrangements for temporary staff outside of the groups mentioned.
	A calculation of the number of days worked could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Veterans: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of former (a) servicemen and (b) medical auxiliaries who have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after discharge from military service.

Mark Francois: The information is not held in the format requested. However, we do hold information on the number of veterans who are in receipt of a war pension under the War Pension Scheme (WPS) or have since April 2005 been awarded compensation under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that has been attributed to service.
	As at 31 March 2013 (the latest date for which WPS and AFCS data are available) 6,200 ex-service personnel were in receipt of a war pension for PTSD and 185 ex-service personnel had been awarded compensation as a result of a post-service claim under the AFCS for PTSD, The term “medical auxiliary” does not correspond to any category for which data are available.
	In accordance with the Defence Statistics rounding policy the WPS and AFCS figures have been rounded to the nearest five.

Veterans: Suicide

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many former (a) military personnel and (b) medical auxiliaries have been identified as having committed suicide on discharge from the military after having served in Afghanistan in each year since 2002.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not currently have specific information on the number of suicide and open verdict deaths among veterans who served in Afghanistan.
	The MOD has commissioned a study on veterans of Operations Telic (Iraq) and Herrick (Afghanistan). This will monitor the causes of death (including suicide) of all members of the armed forces who served in the period from 2003 (the start of operations in Iraq) until the end of operations in Afghanistan. The intention is to run the study for the lifetime of the cohort; therefore the population will include both serving personnel and veterans. It is hoped that the initial results of this study will be published next year.
	In 2006 the MOD commissioned research from Manchester university to investigate the level of suicide amongst those leaving the UK armed forces over the period 1996 to 2005, and to make comparisons with matched personnel remaining in-service and the general population. This work was published in March 2009. The study found that, taking all age groups together, the risk of suicide was no higher than in the general community.

EDUCATION

Apprentices

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many apprenticeships his Department offered to people aged (a) 16 to 18, (b) 19 to 21 and (c) 22 to 26 years old in each year since 2010.

Matthew Hancock: The Department does not hold this information.

Billing

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many creditors to his Department owed more than £10,000 remained unpaid for more than (a) 30 days, (b) 45 days, (c) 60 days, (d) 75 days and (e) more than 90 days in each of the last three years.

Elizabeth Truss: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In common with other Government Departments, the annual report and accounts for the Department for Education, which are available in the Libraries of both Houses, contain information on supplier payment performance.

Education: Woking

Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the level of literacy and numeracy in (a) primary school leavers and (b) secondary school leavers in Woking constituency in each of the last five years.

David Laws: The information requested has been provided in the following tables:
	
		
			 Achievements at the expected level(1) by pupils at the end of key stage 2 in Woking constituency(2,3,4)(a) 
			 Percentage of KS2 pupils achieving expected level in 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012(5) 
			 English 86 85 84 85 88 
			 Maths 82 81 80 80 86 
			 (1) Includes pupils who achieved Level 4 or above. Level 4 is the expected level of achievement for pupils at the end of key stage 2. (2) Parliamentary constituency figures are based on the postcode of the school. (3) Data are final data for all years. (4) Includes state-funded schools including academies. Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (5) In 2012, English was calculated from reading test results and writing teacher assessment rather than from reading and writing tests as in previous years. English in 2012 is, therefore, not comparable to previous years. Source: National pupil database 
		
	
	
		
			 Percentages of pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieving A*-C grades in English and mathematics GCSEs(1) in Woking constituency(2,3,4)(b) 
			 Percentage of KS4 pupils achieving an A*-C grade in 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			 English 72.9 71.9 76.0 75.7 66.1 
			 Maths 64.5 66.7 69.1 72.1 71.2 
			 (1) Full GCSEs only have been included (Full GCSEs, double awards, accredited international certificates and their predecessor iGCSEs and AS levels). Figures from 2007/08 to 2008/09 exclude iGCSEs, 2009/10 figures onwards include accredited iGCSEs. (2) Parliamentary constituency figures are based on the postcode of the school. (3) Data are final data for all years. (4) Includes state-funded schools including academies. Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. Source: National pupil database

English Language: Lancashire

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people in Lancashire have been affected by (a) English Language and (b) English Literature grade boundary changes in the current academic year.

Elizabeth Truss: This is a matter for Ofqual. I have asked the Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey, to write to my hon. Friend. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House Library.

Free School Meals: Surrey

Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children in (a) Woking constituency and (b) Surrey were eligible for free school meals in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in each of the last three years.

David Laws: Information on the number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals in state-funded primary and state-funded secondary schools in Woking constituency, Surrey local authority and England is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 State-funded primary and state-funded secondary schools(1, 2, 3, )Number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(4, 5), January each year: 2011 to 2013, England, Surrey local authority and Woking parliamentary constituency 
			  2011 2012 
			  Number on roll(4, 5) Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(4, 5) Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals Number on roll(4, 5) Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(4, 5) Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 State-funded primary(1, 2)      
			 England 3,866,885 741,315 19.2 3,941,625 759,040 19.3 
			 Surrey local authority 76,957 7,312 9.5 78,618 7,236 9.2 
			 Woking parliamentary constituency 7,395 753 10.2 7,634 708 9.3 
			        
			 State-funded secondary(1, 3)      
			 England 2,837,825 450,275 15.9 2,809,815 449,485 16.0 
			 Surrey local authority 52,989 3,669 6.9 52,551 3,674 7.0 
			 Woking parliamentary constituency 4,235 325 7.7 4,187 312 7.5 
		
	
	
		
			  2013 
			  Number on roll(4, 5) Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals(4, 5) Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 State-funded primary(1, 2)    
			 England 4,039,970 774,610 19.2 
			 Surrey local authority 80,921 7,374 9.1 
			 Woking parliamentary constituency 7,881 760 9.6 
			     
			 State-funded secondary(1, 3)    
			 England 2,779,190 452,600 16.3 
			 Surrey local authority 52,161 3,902 7.5 
			 Woking parliamentary constituency 4,204 301 7.2 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes all primary academies, including free schools. (3 )Includes city technology colleges and all secondary academies, including free schools. (4 )Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. Includes boarders. In pupil referral units includes pupils registered with other providers and further education colleges. (5 )Pupils who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part time attendance and are aged between 5 and 15. Source: School Census

Regulation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the title is of each regulation his Department (a) introduced and (b) revoked in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013 to date; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: In 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 up to 16 July, the Department for Education introduced 289 and revoked 146 statutory instruments (SIs).
	The Department has regulated within the ‘One in, One out’ (from 1 January 2011) and ‘One In, Two Out’ (from 1 January 2013) frameworks for those regulations affecting the business sector, such as private firms and civil society organisations. These rules only apply to those regulations affecting the business sector.
	Details of these regulations are set out in a supplementary table that has been placed in the House Library.

Teachers: Standards

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of teachers were graded as (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) satisfactory/notice to improve and (d) unsatisfactory in Ofsted inspections of (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in each of the last five years; what proportion of those teachers graded as (A) satisfactory/notice to improve and (B) unsatisfactory (1) were given professional support to improve the quality of their teaching and (2) ceased teaching; and what proportion of those who ceased teaching (x) resigned, (y) retired and (z) were dismissed.

David Laws: Ofsted inspectors reach judgements on the quality of teaching throughout a school, rather than on the quality of teaching by individual teachers.
	Information is not collected centrally about the professional development of individual teachers. We have introduced streamlined arrangements to give schools more freedom to manage teacher performance to suit their own circumstances. Teachers' line managers are now free to decide how much observation over the course of the year is necessary for them to form an accurate assessment of teachers' performance, including underperformance, so that they can take appropriate action.

Teachers: Training

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he has taken to improve continuous professional education for (a) teachers and (b) older teachers.

David Laws: High-quality professional development is important to support and enable all teachers, irrespective of their age, to improve their practice.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 May 2013 to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol North West (Charlotte Leslie), Official Report, column 127W.

Teachers: West Midlands

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) teachers and (b) classroom assistants were employed in maintained schools in (i) West Midlands and (ii) Birmingham in each of the last five years.

David Laws: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 July 2013, Official Report, column 616W. The latest data, for 2012, were published on 17 July. These are included in the following table:
	
		
			 Full-time equivalent teachers and teaching assistants in service in publicly funded schools, January 2008 to 2009(1), November 2010 to 2012(2): West Midlands region and Birmingham local authority 
			  Teachers Teaching assistants 
			  2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 West midlands 49,950 49,200 49,250 48,110 50,500 20,370 20,370 22,780 23,680 26,000 
		
	
	
		
			 Birmingham 11,270 10,850 10,580 10,400 11,460 5,040 5,310 5,730 5,470 5,970 
			 (1) Source: Form 618g (2) Source: School Workforce Census

Wales

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department provides services to people resident in Wales or usually resident in Wales.

Elizabeth Truss: Education policy has been mostly devolved to the Welsh Government.
	There are three non-devolved policy areas: teachers' pay and conditions of service, teachers' pensions and teacher discipline. We provide Government services in the Welsh language where there is demand. For example, we have translated two documents: Proposed Teachers' Pension Scheme Reforms; and School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document 2012 which are available on the Department's website(1,2).
	(1)http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/careers/payandpensions/b00204965/proposed-teacher-pension-scheme-reforms
	(2)http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/statutory/g00213238/teachers-pay-conditions-2012

Welsh Language

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has a current Welsh Language scheme; when that scheme was adopted; and whether it has been reviewed since May 2011.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department has a current Welsh Language scheme that was adopted in 2006. We are currently working with the Welsh Language Commissioner to update it.

JUSTICE

Accountancy

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on contracts with (a) Deloitte, (b) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (c) KPMG and (d) Ernst and Young in each year since 2008.

Helen Grant: The Ministry of Justice has spent the following on the provision of services with (a) Deloitte, (b) PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), (c) KPMG and (d) Ernst and Young in each full calendar year since 2008. Spend is exclusive of VAT.
	Consultants can provide a fast, flexible and efficient way to obtain necessary skills that are not available in house. Consultancy spend is governed by strict Cabinet Office controls and any spend over £20,000 requires approval by the departmental board on behalf of the Secretary of State.
	Consultancy contracts in excess of nine months require further approval by the Cabinet Office.
	
		
			 Supplier 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Deloitte 521,646 5,010,352 3,092,206 296,956 519,365 
			 PWC 2,881,694 3,678,005 3,549,901 1,743,840 1,877,886 
			 KPMG 720,750 837,052 201,351 361,596 89,295 
			 Ernst and Young 114,987 257,668 122,060 135,000 4,845,553

Conditions of Employment

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 10 June 2013, Official Report, column 93W, on conditions of employment, how many people in his Department were employed on zero hours contracts in each of the last three years.

Helen Grant: The number of staff employed on zero-hour contracts in the Ministry of Justice (Ministry of Justice HQ, HM Courts and Tribunals Service, National Offender Management Service and the Office of the Public Guardian) in each of the last three financial years is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Total cumulative staff number 
			 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 238 
			 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 218 
			 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013 172 
		
	
	The use of zero-hour contracts enables greater flexibility where work is irregular, thereby making more efficient use of resources to meet demand. The staff are only paid for the hours that they work.

Coroners

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what complaints were received against local coroners in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Helen Grant: The Office for Judicial Complaints (OJC) considers complaints about the personal conduct or behaviour of coroners but not deputy or assistant coroners. The OJC does not hold the information requested for the years 2010 and 2011. Complaints against coroners were received in the following categories during 2012:
	
		
			  Complaints 
			 Discrimination 1 
			 Inappropriate behaviour or comments 15 
			 Judicial decision or case management 25 
			 Misuse of judicial status 1 
			 Not fulfilling judicial duty 4 
			 Professional conduct 2

Corruption

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were convicted of corruption in the last year for which figures are available; what distinction his Department makes between corruption and fraud for the purpose of crime statistics; and how each is measured and monitored.

Jeremy Wright: The number of offenders found guilty at all courts of corruption-related offences, in England and Wales, in 2012 (the latest available), can be viewed in the table.
	Criminal court activity relating to fraud offences are reported within a wider offence group 'Fraud and forgery' in the Criminal Justice Statistics publication, which is released on a quarterly basis. On an annual basis, more detailed supplementary volumes are published which provide a further disaggregated breakdown of convictions and sentences issued within the 'Fraud and forgery' category. Similarly, the corruption offences provided in the table are reported within the wider offence group 'Other indictable (not motoring)', and more specifically within the '99 Other (Excluding Motoring offences)' offence type within annual supplementary volume tables.
	Misconduct in public office is unacceptable and this Government is committed to ensuring that all those guilty of this offence are brought to justice.
	
		
			 Defendants found guilty at all courts of corruption-related offences, England and Wales, 2012(1, 2) 
			 Offence Found guilty 
			 Offences relating to offering, promising or giving bribes(3) 1 
			 Offences relating to requesting, agreeing to receive and accepting bribes(4) 1 
			 Misconduct in a public office by act or omission(5) 52 
			 Bribery, treating and undue influence at elections(6) 0 
			 Personation(7) 0 
			 Commercial organisation—failure to prevent associate bribing another with intent to obtain or retain business or advantage(8) 0 
			 Bribery of foreign public officials(9) 48 
			 Soliciting or receiving bribe or giving or offering bribe(10) 0 
			 (1 )The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3 )An offence under SS.l(2)(a), (b)(i). (ii) or (3) Bribery Act 2010. (4 )An offence under SS.2(2), (3), (4) or (5) of the Bribery Act 2010. (5 )An offence under Common Law of England and Wales. (6 )An offence under S113-115 of the Representation of the People Act 1983. (7 )An offence under S60 of the Representation of the People Act 1983. (8 )An offence under Section 7 of the Bribery Act 2010. (9 )An offence under Section 6 of the Bribery Act 2010. (10 )An offence under the Public Bodies Corrupt Practices Act 1889 (S 1(1) and S2) Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services--Ministry of Justice.

Court of Protection

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the operation of the Court of Protection in respect of individuals suffering from Alzheimer's; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Grant: The Court of Protection is a unique court dealing with some of the most vulnerable people in society. Its specialist judges are called on to make decisions in cases where there is a concern a person may not have the mental capacity to act in their own interests—for example about their property, financial affairs, health care or personal welfare.
	The Court collects information on the type of applications being made, but not about the cause of the lack of capacity—for example about whether it relates to Alzheimer's—and so no assessments have been made about performance in that area

Courts: Crimes of Violence

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many incidents of violence there were in magistrates courts that involved defendants in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012;
	(2)  how many incidents of violence there were in Crown courts that involved defendants in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Helen Grant: Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) do not maintain records detailing whether an incident of violence has involved the defendant for the period detailed above. HMCTS maintains records of violent incidents involving parties to a case. These are as follows:
	
		
			  Magistrates court Crown court 
			 2010-11 37 13 
			 2011-12 39 9 
			 2012-13 33 7 
		
	
	My Department takes the security of all court users seriously and it is the policy of Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) that all security incidents are reported and investigated. All incidents involving violence are reported to the police for further investigation. The figures provided comprise reported incidents from the reporting years April to March and resulting in actual violence and include incidents between and against parties, court users and court staff and contractors. These figures do not include incidents of verbal abuse or verbal threats as they do not fall within the remit of the request.

Crime: Victims

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many complaints were received about the obligations under the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime by each agency covered by the code in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many complaints were received about obligations under the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in each of the last five years.

Helen Grant: The Ministry of Justice does not hold this information centrally. Agencies with duties under the Code handle complaints under their own internal complaints processes. Collection and retention of complaints data is carried out at a local level. The Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman also retains data from those complaints from victims referred to them by a Member of Parliament.
	The Government recently held a public consultation on a revised Code of Practice for Victims of Crime. This included proposals to improve the transparency and effectiveness of the complaints process to ensure that all criminal justice agencies provide quick and thorough responses to victims and that the onus is on agencies, not on the victim, to redirect complaints to the right place. The consultation ran from 29 March 2013 until 10 May 2013 and we intend to publish the Government's response this summer.
	In addition, as part of the wider criminal justice reform agenda, the Government is committed to improving the accountability of the criminal justice system so that victims can hold the system to account if things go wrong.

Criminal Records

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when all police forces will be able to access full records of charges and out-of-court disposals for every police area.

Damian Green: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Home Department.
	The Police National Computer (PNC) already provides a central record of all charges, cautions, reprimands, warnings and penalty notices.
	Authorised PNC users, within all police forces, are able to view full records for every police area.

Electronic Tagging

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost per day of electronically monitoring an individual using (a) global positioning system technology and (b) radio frequency technology; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice has not made an estimate of the relative cost per day of monitoring an individual using these two different technologies.
	Most of the electronic monitoring which takes place under the current contracts uses radio frequency technology. The next generation of electronic-monitoring contracts, currently out to tender, will provide for the use of both radio frequency and global positioning system technology—and we anticipate that the overall cost will be significantly lower than at present.

Knives: Crime

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have received the maximum custodial sentence for possession of a knife in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013 to date.

Jeremy Wright: Unlawful possession of a knife or offensive weapon is a serious criminal offence which carries a maximum four-year custodial sentence. Where someone is actually harmed there are a range of existing offences against the person, in particular offences of wounding or causing grievous bodily harm, that reflect the seriousness of the offending behaviour and the harm caused.
	In the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2013, the Government introduced the new offences of threatening someone with a knife in a public place or a school which came into force on 3 December 2012. These offences carry a minimum sanction of six months custody for adults and a four-month Detention and Training Order for juveniles.
	The Government is also considering whether there is a case for further changes to be made to the sentencing framework for knife possession as part of the knife sentencing review.
	Within the sentencing framework, it is for judges and magistrates to decide the appropriate sentence in individual cases taking account of the harm the offence caused and the culpability of the offender. Under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 there is an obligation on courts when sentencing for offences to follow the guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council, unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.
	Available information on the number of offenders sentenced at all courts to immediate custody, and those who received the maximum sentence of four years, for knife possession offences, in England and Wales, in each year from 2005 to 2012, can be viewed in the table.
	Following further validation and receipt of additional magistrates court records, a number of revisions have been made to previously published 2011 information. As such, 2011 figures may not match what was previously provided.
	Court proceedings data for 2013 are planned for publication in May 2014.
	
		
			 Offenders sentenced at all courts to immediate custody, and those who received the maximum sentence, for knife possession offences, England and Wales, 2005 to 2012(1,2) 
			 Offence description  2005 2006 2007 2008(5) 2009 2010 2011(6) 2012 
			 Having an article with blade or point in a public place(3) Immediate custody 965 1,070 1,060 1,373 1,671 1,403 1,578 1,323 
			  Maximum sentence of four years — — — — 2 — — — 
			  Average custodial sentence length (months)(7) 3.2 3.4 3.6 4.6 4.7 4.8 5 5.1 
			           
		
	
	
		
			 Having an article with blade or point on school premises(4) Immediate custody 5 5 5 4 4 10 7 4 
			  Maximum sentence of four years — — — — — — — — 
			  Average custodial sentence length (months)(7) 5.2 7.6 4.8 9.2 6.2 7.5 9.7 6 
			 ‘—’ Nil (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) An offence under Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139 as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 s.3. (4) An offence under Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139A (1X5Xa) as added by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.4(1). (5) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates' court for April, July and August 2008. (6) Following further validation and receipt of additional magistrates' court records, a number of revisions have been made to previously published 2011 information. As such, 2011 figures may not match what was previously provided. (7) Excludes life and indeterminate sentences. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services in the Ministry of Justice

Knives: Crime

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2013, Official Report, column 480W, on knife crime, and with reference to table 8 of the Knife Possession Sentencing Quarterly Brief for the first quarter of 2013, what the length of each of the eight immediate custodial sentences contained in that table which were handed down for the offence of threatening with a knife was;
	(2)  which of the defendants in each sentencing category referred to in table 8 of the Knife Possession Sentencing Quarterly Brief for the first quarter of 2013 (a) had a previous knife-related conviction, (b) had a previous violence-related conviction, (c) had any other previous conviction and (d) were sentenced for other offences at the same time as the offence of threatening with a knife.

Jeremy Wright: These offences are contained in the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, and came into force on 3 December 2012, and carry a minimum custodial sentence of six months for adults, and a four month detention and training order for 16 to 17-years-olds which must be imposed unless in all circumstances it would be unjust to do so.
	The following table shows the sentence lengths for each of the eight offenders who received an immediate custodial sentence for aggravated possession of a knife or offensive weapon.
	
		
			 Length of sentences for offenders sentenced to immediate custody for an aggravated knife or offensive weapon possession offence, Q1 2013, England and Wales 
			 Length of sentence Number of offenders 
			 Four months up to and including six months 3 
			 Over six months 5 
			 Source: Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	It is not possible to further break down the number of offenders presented in each sentencing category from table 8 of the latest Knife Possession Sentencing Quarterly Brief due to the risk of disclosing personal data about these small numbers of individuals. We can however provide overall figures for each of the different parts of the question as follows:
	
		
			   The number of offenders who were convicted for an aggravated possession offence 
			 (a) With a previous knife-related offence 4 
			 (b) With a previous violence-related offence 5 
			 (c) Any other previous conviction and 15 
			 (d) Were sentenced for other offences at the same time 14 
		
	
	These are the latest available figures and are a copy of table 8 of the Knife Possession Sentencing Quarterly Brief which was published on 6 June 2012. The quarterly bulletin is available from the Ministry of Justice website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/knife-possession-sentencing-quarterly-brief-january-to-march-2013

Legal Aid Scheme

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the definition of housing costs for the purpose of qualification for legal aid will be on an (a) imputed or (b) actual basis.

Jeremy Wright: Between 9 April and 4 June 2013 the Government consulted on a number of proposals to reform legal aid via the ‘Transforming Legal Aid: delivering a more credible and efficient system’ consultation. This included a proposed model of competitive tendering for criminal legal aid services. We have been clear we must continue to bear down on the cost of legal aid, including nearly £1 billion of taxpayers' money spent on criminal legal aid a year, to ensure we are getting the best deal for the taxpayer.
	We will also be consulting in the autumn on changes to the legal aid financial eligibility tests to accommodate the further roll-out of universal credit. That will include proposals for the treatment of housing costs.

Legal Aid Scheme

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department has taken to ensure that client choice in relation to legal aid is still available.

Jeremy Wright: Between 9 April and 4 June 2013 the Government consulted on a number of proposals to reform legal aid via the ‘Transforming Legal Aid: delivering a more credible and efficient system’ consultation. This included a proposed model of competitive tendering for criminal legal aid services. We have been clear we must continue to bear down on the cost of legal aid, including nearly £1 billion of taxpayers’ money spent on criminal legal aid a year, to ensure we are getting the best deal for the taxpayer.
	One specific point in the consultation which has attracted significant response is the proposal to remove client choice in the model for competition for criminal litigation. The rationale for proposing this change was to give greater certainty of case volume for providers, making it easier and more predictable for them to organise their businesses to provide the most cost-effective service to the taxpayer. This was not a policy objective in its own right. We have heard clearly from the Law Society and other respondents that they regard client choice as fundamental to the effective delivery of criminal legal aid. We are therefore looking again at this issue, and expect to make changes to allow a choice of solicitor for clients receiving criminal legal aid. We will be launching a new consultation in the autumn.

Legal Aid Scheme: Wales

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was paid in criminal legal aid costs to solicitors' firms in (a) Alyn and Deeside constituency and (b) North Wales in each of the last three years.

Jeremy Wright: The Legal Aid Agency records costs relating to firms by legal aid procurement area, which is broadly based on local authority boundaries. The information requested falls under the remit of the Legal Services Commission; however, the same applies as the information has historically been recorded by local authority. Therefore, the following information is provided in relation to the Flintshire local authority and the North Wales region, as the Flintshire local authority covers the area of Alyn and Deeside.
	
		
			 Criminal legal aid costs 
			 £ million 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 North Wales: Alyn and Deeside (Sir Y Fflint/Flintshire local authority) 1.06 1.04 0.92 
			 North Wales: Others 5.68 6.15 5.52 
			 North Wales: Total 6.74 7.18 6.44 
			 Notes: 1.The costs include VAT and disbursements such as expenses, third party costs, and costs paid by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Services (HMCTS) on Crown Court cases. (2) The information does not include costs paid by the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, House of Lords, and Senior Court Costs Office. Solicitor advocates are treated as Barristers and costs paid to them are not included as part of the firm.

Offenders: East of England

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to review the provision of the multi-agency public protection regime in the East of England; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright: There are no plans to review the provision of the statutory multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) in the East of England or elsewhere in England and Wales. Under the Transforming Rehabilitation reforms, MAPPA will continue to operate for the assessment and management of known serious offenders, and all those offenders under statutory probation supervision and subject to MAPPA will be managed by the public sector probation service.
	HM Inspectorate of Probation (HMI Probation) undertake thematic and core inspection programmes that focus on frontline practice as well as organisational arrangements. Much of their work is undertaken jointly, with other Inspectorates.
	HMI Probation has occasionally undertaken inspections specifically into MAPPA (2011) and related areas such as sexual offenders (2011). The effective operation of MAPPA is also considered, where relevant, as part of wider "thematic" inspections such as those due to be published during 2013-14, which include life sentenced prisoners, victims and integrated offender management.

Prisons: Television

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what profit has been made by prisons from charging prisoners for access to televisions in their cells in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jeremy Wright: All in-cell TVs are Prison Service owned and their costs are recovered from prisoners.
	All the income derived from prisoners this way is used for the provision of in-cell television.

Private Finance Initiative

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many contracts for private finance initiative schemes his Department signed prior to May 1997; and what the total capital value of those contracts was.

Helen Grant: The information requested is not held centrally and to collate it would incur disproportionate cost. The Department has only existed in its current form since May 2007. Gathering the information you have requested would involve contacting the previous bodies which were subsumed into the Department, including but not limited to: The Home Office, the Department for Constitutional Affairs and Her Majesty's Courts Service.

Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many prisoners released on temporary licence subsequently re-offended in the last four years;
	(2)  how many (a) murders and (b) crimes of violence against the person have been committed by those released from prison on early release since 2008;
	(3)  how many offences were committed by offenders serving a prison sentence in an open prison in the latest period for which figures are available; what the offence was in each case; and in which open prison each such offender was serving;
	(4)  how many people who have served an indeterminate sentence for public protection have reoffended after release since 13 September 2010; and what estimate he has made of the number of offences committed by such reoffenders in that time period.

Jeremy Wright: Public protection is our top priority and we are determined to have the best possible systems in place to supervise offenders in the community. Any serious further offence is one too many and we work hard to manage risk—sadly it can never be completely eliminated.
	We are currently reforming the system and will be introducing a new public sector National Probation Service focused on keeping the public safe from offenders who pose the greatest risk of serious harm.
	Data on proven reoffending for offenders who were released from custody are produced and published by the Ministry of Justice on a quarterly basis. A proven re-offence is defined as any offence that was committed within one year of release and receiving a court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning within that year or within a further six months to allow the offence to be proven in court.
	Proven reoffending data for adult offenders who were released from prison between July 2009 and June 2011 (latest period for which data are available) after serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection are published in Table 19a of the Proven Reoffending Statistics Quarterly bulletin at the following link. The table includes information on the number of adult offenders who committed a proven re-offence within 12 months of release and the number of proven re-offences that were committed by these offenders.
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/proven-re-offending--2
	The following table presents the number of murders and crimes of violence against the person committed by adult offenders who were released on licence from prison between 2008 and June 2011 (latest period for which data are available).
	
		
			 Number of proven re-offences committed by adult offenders who were released from prison on licence between 2008 and June 2011, England and Wales(1) 
			   Number of re-offences 
			 Cohort No. of offenders released from prison on licence(2) Murder Violence against the person(3) Other Total 
			 2008 30,710 8 1,893 40,277 42,170 
			 2009 30,540 8 1,756 35,694 37,450 
			 2010 26,726 12 1,696 31,480 33,176 
			 July 2010 to June 2011 28,089 10 1,743 31,115 32,858 
			 (1) The data presented in the table are a further breakdown of the data published in Table 25 of the Proven Reoffending Statistics Quarterly bulletin: www.gov.uk/government/publications/proven-re-offending--2 (2) The group of offenders for whom reoffending is measured does not represent all proven offenders. Offenders released from prison are matched to the police national computer database and a certain proportion of these offenders cannot be matched. These unmatched offenders are, therefore, excluded from the proven reoffending measure (3 )Includes murder. 
		
	
	Proven reoffending data cannot be provided for offenders who were released from prison on temporary licence nor can they be provided for offenders while they served their sentence in an open prison. This information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Salvation Army

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what funding he is providing for identified victims of human trafficking after they have exited the Salvation Army Trafficking Support Scheme.

Helen Grant: The majority of victims who have been supported by the Salvation Army decide to return to their home country. However, where a victim is entitled to remain in the UK, for example nationals of EU and EEA member states exercising EU treaty rights or those who have been given leave, they may receive outreach support, benefits or housing support through the local authority.
	When it is safe and appropriate for a victim to return to their home country, reintegration funding may be provided to support them to do this.

Sentencing

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the degree to which the creation of business impact statements under the revised Victims Code will result in more informed sentencing decisions and will reduce reoffending.

Helen Grant: The Business Impact Statement, like the Victim Personal Statement, will give the victim a louder voice in the criminal justice system. It will provide the court with a fuller picture of the impact of the offence on the victim and will be disclosed to the defendant's legal team to provide an avenue through which the offender can be made fully aware of the impact of their actions on the victim. We will work with the judiciary to assist them in reviewing and updating the relevant guidance and Practice Directions governing the use of the statement in court.

Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in how many and in what proportion of occasions the maximum sentence for an offence was given in (a) Crown courts and (b) magistrates courts in each year since 2008.

Jeremy Wright: Parliament sets the maximum penalty for an offence at a level to provide for the worst possible example of the offence and to give the courts sufficient range of sentencing powers to deal with all the cases which come before them. The courts, therefore, rarely impose the maximum sentence. However, sentencing has become more severe over the last decade: in 2012, the average custodial sentence length was 14.5 months, an increase of 1.9 months compared to 2002.
	The number of defendants who received the maximum sentence available, following sentence at the Crown court and magistrates court, and the percentage of sentences where the maximum sentence was given at all court, in England and Wales, in each year from 2008 to 2012 (latest available) can be viewed in the table.
	
		
			 Defendants receiving the maximum sentence available, following sentence at the Crown court and magistrates court, and percentage of sentences where the maximum sentence was given at all courts, England and Wales, 2008 to 2012(1, 2) 
			  All courts 
			  Number of maximum sentences handed down Proportion who received maximum sentence (%) 
			 2008 2,805 0.2 
			 2009 2,166 0.2 
			 2010 2,371 0.2 
			 2011 2,516 0.2 
			 2012 3,601 0.3 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Vacancies

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's vacancy rate was in 2012-13; and what vacancy rate has been assumed for 2013-14.

Helen Grant: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) does not collate vacancy rates centrally.
	The Department's central budgetary calculations for 2013-14 do not involve assumptions about vacancy rates. Recruitment depends upon the need to balance redeployment of displaced staff, turnover rates and operational need.

Vending Machines

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many vending machines in his Department's premises contain snack foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value.

Helen Grant: We do not hold this information centrally and this information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However I can confirm there is one vending machine across the Ministry's London headquarters' buildings, in 102 Petty France. This stocks a variety of confectionary and soft drinks, which includes fruit juices, water and cereal bars.